Transformers Prime: Heart of a Gladiator
by DayDreamerxo15
Summary: Raf's sister, Monica, is home from college and she's meeting the Autobots for the first time. Turns out the car she recently bought is an Autobot undercover. But this is no ordinary 'bot. She and her twin sister used to be two of the greatest gladiators on Cybertron. In times of war, sides were chosen and sisterhood was torn. Jack/OC Wheeljack/OC Smokescreen/OC
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So here is my first ever transformers fic! (Based on the show Transformers Prime) I've been obsessed with the series. Figure this takes place AFTER Orion Pax part 3. So Optimus got his memory back and everything is back to normal at the Autobot base. Let me know what you think! Reviews good or bad! **

It was the final period of the day and students were anxiously waiting for the bell. Raf was seated by the window. He looked out, knowing Bee would show up any second now. He was looking forward to spending the rest of his day with the Autobots.

A sporty white car pulled up and Raf watched as the driver got out. His face lit up when he realized it was his sister, Monica. She was eighteen and still adjusting to her new life in college. It was hard work and exhausting but as always, Monica was totally committed to her studies. She especially liked being someplace new, someplace other than Jasper. It was finally winter break and Monica was coming home for a whole month. Raf was excited about this. He missed having her around.

The bell rang and suddenly everyone was in motion. Jack and Miko approached Raf in the hall.

"Our bots are late!" Miko exclaimed "I bet they're out battling cons without us. I am so not taking the bus."

"Actually, I have a ride. My sister's right out front." Raf explained as they walked outside.

"Monica, right?" Jack asked. Raf had mentioned her before.

"That would be me." The three of them looked down at Raf's sister, standing with a hand on her hip at the bottom of the school's steps. She was wearing jeans and a red T-shirt and her hair was tied back into a neat ponytail. Raf thought she hadn't changed a bit.

He grinned and ran over to hug her. "I'm so glad you're home."

"Me too. I've missed you all so much." She looked up "Oh. Who are your friends?"

"This is Miko and Jack."

"Oh right, you told me about them over the phone." Monica smiled. Being so smart, her brother skipped a few grades. She thought he would have a hard time making friends.

"I told mom I was picking you up but she said you've been staying after school. For a club? She says you're really involved."

"It's a science fiction club." Jack said quickly "Miko and I are in it too."

"Really? You never mentioned it, Raf."

"That's because it's a _secret _science fiction club." Miko said. Both boys gave her a look. Raf knew his sister never missed a thing. She was too smart for her own good. He wondered how he would be able to keep the Autobots a secret from her.

"Monica, whose car is that?" Raf asked, changing the subject.

She glanced at the white Audi parked along the curb. "You know how my old Toyota was always causing problems. I couldn't take it anymore. So I traded it in for this one just last week. Nice, huh?"

Raf nodded "Can we go for a ride?"

"Of course. Only if it's okay to skip out on this secret club of yours."

He forced a laugh "It . . . shouldn't be a problem." He turned to his friends "I'll see you guys later."

"Nice meeting you, Miko. Jack." She added, nodding to each of them.

Once they approached the car, Monica made a gesture with her hands to show it off. "Ta-da! What do you think up close?"

"It's awesome."

She smiled "It's a little beat up but I think that gives it personality."

The moment Raf climbed in, he could tell something was . . . off. A certain symbol engraved on the horn caught his attention. "It's an Autobot."

Monica was in the driver's seat now. The car was in motion when she looked at him "What?"

"Monica, where did you get this car!?"

All of a sudden, the car jerked forward and took off down the street. Monica instinctively hit the breaks but it was no use. Her hands let go when the steering wheel started turning. It was like the car had a mind of its own.

"What is going on!?" She cried.

Raf turned around to look over his seat. Two identical purple cars were coming up fast. "Decepticons" He confirmed.

Raf didn't know anything about the Autobot he was riding in. But right now, he needed to trust it. "They're gaining on us! Can you lose them?"

With that, the Autobot went faster, its engine roaring. Raf looked back to see that the deceptions were falling out of sight. The Autobot made a sharp U turn then pulled into an empty lot, cutting off its engine.

Raf was sure they lost them but it never was that easy. A moment later, both 'Cons pulled in side by side. With no more options, the Autobot had no choice. Her doors flung open. "Quickly, you must get out now."

Raf was surprised to hear a female voice. He only knew of one other female Autobot.

"Who said that?" Monica gasped.

"We need to get out! Trust me!"

"Raf, wait!" She followed him out of the car then froze. The two cars suddenly . . . transformed? Into what appeared to be . . . giant metal robots? She heard noises coming from her car and when she looked over, it had transformed into one as well. She stared, eyes wide, unable to move.

The Decepticons drew their blasters. "Surrender now, 'Bot!"

The Autobot drew hers. (She carried blasters in both her forearms). "Never!" A protective mask slid over her face, leaving only her optics visible.

"Monica, come on!" Raf shouted, tugging at her hand. He pulled her away just as the 'Cons started shooting.

They ran behind a dumpster and Monica fell to her knees. Her heart was pounding. "This is crazy!"

"It's okay! She's on our side." Raf assured her.

She looked at him like he was insane. "_She_? Who is _she_?"

Before he could answer, one 'Con crashed on top of the dumpster. Monica fell back, pulling Raf along with her. It got right back up without noticing them.

Raf moved back closer to the dumpster, focused on watching the battle. Something about this Autobot was different. The first thing he noticed was the massive blade that she carried on her back. There was a handle in the middle that she could hold with both hands, with long, razor sharp blades extending on both sides. It looked like it could cut through anything, and she also used it to reflect blaster fire. At just the right moment, she grabbed one 'Con by the arm and sent him flying into the other.

"Whoa." Raf gasped. This 'Bot could seriously fight.

But she was feeling weak. Her lack of energon was making her dizzy. She considered making a run for it. Besides, her first priority should be getting the humans to safety. She spotted them behind the dumpster and was about to transform when one 'Con slammed into her, pinning her down face first. To stop her from struggling, the other stabbed his blade into her shoulder. She let out a cry of pain.

Raf couldn't take it anymore. "Stop! Leave her alone!"

The 'Cons looked right at them and lifted their blasters. Raf gulped as he listened to that ringing sound get higher and higher . . .

There was an engine roar as a yellow Camaro zoomed into the lot. Bumblebee transformed and jumped in front of Raf and his sister. The scout drew his guns. "Bee! You need to help her! She's an Autobot!" Raf shouted.

Bumblebee understood. He tackled one Decepticon, freeing the Autobot beneath him. She shot at the other above her and the 'Con stumbled backwards. Then she sprang up on her hands, kicking him square in the face and sending him flying.

Bee already had the other 'Con down. He looked at the Autobot, cocking his head to one side. She slid up her mask, meeting his gaze for a moment. Then suddenly, her optics closed, and she collapsed in front of him.


	2. Chapter 2

The 'Cons decided to retreat before more reinforcements showed up. Bumblebee turned around and saw that Raf was okay. His beeping sounds told him that the coast was clear. Raf pulled on Monica's arm.

"Raf, no." she hissed

"It's alright, he's my friend. Trust me."

Not sure what else to do, she swallowed and got up. Bumblebee bent down closer to their level as Raf was first to approach him. "I'm sure glad to see you."

Raf seemed to completely trust this one. He really was his _friend_. Monica slowly stepped closer, staring at the robot with a skeptical look on her face. "He really won't hurt us?"

"No way!" Raf assured her "Monica, this is Bumblebee. He's my guardian."

Bee reached out a finger for her. He knew he needed to gain her trust. She placed her hand on him and couldn't help but smile. "Incredible."

Bee made more beeping sounds. "He says you kinda look like me." Raf translated with a smile.

"You can… understand him?"

He nodded "Bee can't talk like the others. Most can speak our languages."

"So this one protects you from… other robots?"

"They're called Decepticons. Like the ones that attacked her." He looked over at the Autobot lying motionless on her side. The three of them gathered beside her.

"Bumblebee is an Autobot. That symbol on her chest means that she's an Autobot too. That's how I knew she was on our side." Raf explained to his sister.

"Autobots aren't dangerous. She wanted to protect us." Monica concluded. She frowned, reaching out to touch her "Is she… dead?"

Bee noticed the gash in her shoulder. A shoulder wound like that is painful but not usually fatal. There was barely any energon leaking from it, which wasn't a good sign. She was running on practically nothing. She needed medical attention.

"He says she's unconscious." Raf translated.

Bee explained the situation to Ratchet through the communication link. "Are you sure it's an Autobot?" his voice asked. Bee assured him that this wasn't just a random Autobot. He knew exactly who she was . . . "Alright. I'm sending a ground-bridge."

"He's going to take her to base." Raf told his sister.

"How is he-?" Monica was cut off when a huge energy vortex appeared out of nowhere. Her jaw dropped. "_Raf_, what is that?"

"Ground-bridge to base" He said.

"What, like teleportation?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but yes."

Bee asked Raf to bring his sister back to base. They both needed protection. Raf nodded "He wants us to go first."

"What?" Monica gasped.

"Don't worry. I've done this before." He said, tugging on her hand.

Monica wanted to draw a line. Just the idea of teleportation was crazy! There was no telling what would happen and that frightened her. She knew she should stop him, pull him away. That would be the responsible, older sister thing to do. But Raf seemed so sure about this. He did say he's done this before. She was just going to have to trust him.

Monica followed her brother into the ground-bridge. There was a white light that got brighter and brighter until suddenly they were someplace else. Just like that.

It was big and open, perfect for giant robots. The first thing she noticed was the Autobot symbol on the floor. Somehow, that made her feel a little more safe. Behind her, Bee appeared, carrying the Autobot bridle style.

"Put her on the table over there." A voice said. Monica looked up to see another robot, staring right back at her. He was red and white and carrying tools in both hands.

"Rafael?" He looked at him, wondering who this stranger was and why she was here.

"It's okay, Ratchet. She's my sister and 'Cons saw her."

He nodded once and didn't question further. There was an Autobot to be examined. Details about his sister could wait. "Optimus will want to speak to you both."

"Okay." Raf replied, then looked at his sister. "Ratchet's their medic. C'mon follow me." He led her upstairs so they could watch from above.

Monica bent down to watch from Raf's level, placing one hand on the railing. "I'm guessing you've been here before, huh?"

"A lot of times, actually." Raf admitted

She glanced at Bee, then Ratchet. "Where did they come from?"

"From a planet called Cybertron. But the war between Autobots and Decepticons destroyed it."

"So they came here?"

Raf nodded "They live off something called energon and it can be found on Earth. That's what brought them here. The Decepticons will do anything to get it. We don't know what they're planning next, but it can never be good."

Monica didn't say anything. "But the Autobots are on our side." Raf went on in a more cheerful tone. "They protect human kind. If it wasn't for them, I don't know what we'd do."

She took a minute to absorb everything he just told her. Aliens. They were actual aliens. She always believed that there was life outside Earth. She believed that there had to be something else out there… But she never expected any of _this_.

"Protect human kind." She repeated. "Does human kind know about any of this?"

"The Autobot base is a government secret. Well, except from us… and Jack and Miko."

"Yeah, I had a feeling they were in on this."

She looked up when she heard heavy footsteps. Her eyes widened when a red and blue Autobot appeared, the tallest of them all. "That's Optimus Prime. He's the Autobot leader."

Optimus approached the table. "It is her." He confirmed.

Ratchet nodded once. He had put a brace around her shoulder. The damage was nothing too serious. "Only a minor injury. It's the lack of energon that caused her to shut down. Her body is exhausted. She'll need a full recharge in order to restore normal functioning." He paused "Perhaps, we should consider first. Times have changed, Optimus. She may not be the same Autobot you once knew."

"You know who she is?" Raf spoke up. Optimus looked at him. His eyes shifted to Monica who slowly stood up.

"Her name is Luna. She was a well-known gladiator on Cybertron. And she was also a loyal friend of mine. We lost contact during the war."

"She's been with my sister for days." Raf said "Tell them, Monica."

All optics were on her now. She tensed. "I- I thought it was just a regular car when I bought it."

"She never transformed?" Ratchet asked

"Um. I'm not sure. It- she was always right where I last parked. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary."

"Where did you first find her?" Optimus questioned

"Bob's Used Car Lot" She blinked, realizing that wasn't a very helpful answer. "Uh, it's near my college, in Stanford, California. I drove home just this morning… Then things got crazy when I picked up Raf from school."

"'Cons came after her." Raf explained, looking down at Luna. "She wanted to protect us. I think we can trust her."

"I agree with you, Rafael." Optimus decided. He turned to Ratchet. "She is in need of our help, old friend."

The medic nodded. He knew Optimus cared about her. "I'll need a fresh supply of energon, stat."

**A/N: Sooo sorry this took forever! My laptop sucks right now. I promise updates will come more often after Christmas, when I get my new laptop! I've got a lot in store for this story and I'm anxious to write more! Next chapter you find out more about Luna and her evil twin. No seriously, her twin is a decepticon and Luna is an autobot. Genius, right? Ok enough spoilers. (P.S. I may make some slight changes to grammar and such. I'm just too tired to edit right now.)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: As you could already tell, I put this story on hold for a while. I'm not going to say that I've been soo busy because that's what everyone says. Honestly, I just haven't been in the mood to type up my ideas. I've seriously been writing this story in my head for ages, it's just so hard to organize the plot and write it down. But I promise to update more starting now. Please review so I can get an idea of how many readers I still have interested. I know it's been a while so I'd appreciate it.**

A green SUV and a blue motorcycle pulled into the base. Monica watched as Miko hopped out of the SUV, then it transformed into a large, bulky robot. Jack got off the motorcycle, removing his helmet. It transformed also, being smaller than the rest, and Monica could tell it was female, like Luna.

Jack and Miko looked up at Raf and they were first to notice his sister.

"No way!" Miko exclaimed, surprised to see her.

"Monica… _hi_." Jack said.

She smiled a little "Science fiction club, Jack?"

He smiled back nervously.

"Who's the newbie exactly?" The bulky one asked

"My sister." Raf answered "Monica, this is Bulkhead and Arcee."

"So. What's your angle on all this?" Arcee asked her.

Monica let out a sharp breath. How could she put this as simply as possible? "I bought a new car… and it turned out to be an alien robot."

"Really? Is it an Autobot?" Miko asked

Monica felt strange answering. "Yeah… She's over there."

She was now placed in a tube of some sort that supported her stance. Ratchet was busy preparing the energon with Bumblebee and Optimus standing by.

The others gathered around and Bulkhead immediately recognized her. "Is that- I don't believe it! She's one of the Bellatrix Twins!"

"Bellatrix Twins?" Jack asked

"Weren't they famous _gladiators_?" Arcee said.

"Yeah! Their fights were amazing! The crowds went crazy for them!" Bulkhead gushed.

"Optimus," Ratchet interrupted "Her vitals are rising. Just a moment more…"

Once complete, the monitor showed that her energy levels were fully restored. But Luna was still unresponsive. Ratchet opened the tube and went in to examine her up close. Suddenly, her optics opened but her vision was a blur. All she could make out was a bright light and a figure standing in front of her. She panicked and jerked forward, pinning Ratchet onto the floor and placing her blade against his throat.

"Luna, no, stop!" Optimus shouted.

Luna recognized his voice right away. She froze.

"It is I, Optimus Prime. It's alright. You are safe here."

"Optimus?" She noticed the other Autobots behind him, feeling a sudden sense of relief. She thought she had been captured… and the 'cons were known to torture their prisoners. Luna blinked, realizing she still had someone pinned beneath her. Her blade pulled away and she stood up, offering him a hand. "I apologize, Ratchet. I didn't realize it was you."

He took it and got up. Ratchet had met Luna back on Cybertron, but he never really got to know her. Not like Optimus did.

Then Luna thought of something in panic. "The children!"

"They are safe with us." Optimus assured her, glancing at Raf and Monica. The boy smiled at her.

"It has been some time, Luna." Optimus continued "And it is good to see you. You were in critical condition."

She saw that her shoulder was patched up, and could feel that her body was restored with energon. "I am feeling much better now, thanks to your medic." She glanced at Bumblebee "And to your scout, who came just in time."

"When did you arrive on Earth?" Optimus questioned.

"In Earth time... I believe eight days ago. I came here looking for you and your team after I heard this." She clicked something on her helm to playback a saved recording. _My name is Optimus Prime and I send this message. Though we did not choose to be of Earth, it would seem that we are here to stay. If you approach this planet with hostile intent, know this: we will defend ourselves. We will defend humanity. We will defend our home._ "I thought I could be of assistance."

"Awesome! So you're here to stay?" Miko asked

"If I am needed."

Of course, Optimus wouldn't object. "You would make a valuable member to our team, and you are welcome here with us."

Luna glanced at the others. None of them really knew her. But they seemed to trust Optimus' judgment. Her place in the team would come in time.

"Luna, what has happened this past week?" Optimus asked

"When I first arrived here, Decepticons found my ship. I wasn't expecting an encounter with Megatron."

"You've encountered Megatron?" Ratchet asked.

Luna nodded, then frowned. "And my sister was standing beside him."

"That's right, Nova became a 'Con." Bulkhead recalled "I remember hearing about that."

"I haven't had contact with her in eons and she didn't look too happy to see me. That's when Megatron offered me a proposal."

The team exchanged looks. "What kind of proposal?" Optimus questioned.

"He told me that I was destined for greatness alongside my sister, destined for greatness alongside _him_. He gave me the option of joining the Decepticon cause, but I refused."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but why would Megatron bother? He's never seemed to care about anyone else before." Arcee asked

She hesitated "Nova and I are designed to fight as one. Our bond as sisters makes us stronger when fighting together."

Luna and Nova started out as amateur gladiators. When they came out of no where, ready to take on the champions, no one thought they would stand a chance. They were much smaller compared to the rest, and being females didn't help. But the twins weren't afraid to show everyone what they were made of. With the help of each other, they fiercely and cleverly defeated every opponent they faced. They were a pair of rookies with an edge and that's what got them so noticed. Soon enough, they became known as The Bellatrix Twins: Gladiators of Cybertron.

"Megatron knows what we're capable of." Luna continued "He _trained_ us before the war happened. And now... I suppose he wanted to have us both on his side again."

"What happened after you refused?" Optimus asked.

"I was able to get away but I feared they would come looking for me. I went into hiding to rest." Luna looked at Raf's sister. "That's when I met Monica."

"You mean, when she _bought_ you." Miko corrected.

Monica blinked, still trying to process Luna's story. "If you were at risk, then why did you stay with me so long?" Monica drove around a lot out in the open. All that time in California, they could have been spotted.

"I'd never been so up close to a human before. I was curious to learn more... I realize that wasn't very responsible of me and I apologize for putting you in danger."

Curious to learn more? About her? Monica never thought she was very interesting. It was kind of a nice compliment. "It's ok. No harm done, right?"

Luna smiled. From her time spent with her, she had grown attached to this human. She had learned some things about human kind just by observing her. And she had enjoyed her company, even though the teenager had no idea that she was even alive. Luna had liked listening to her sing along to the radio. She wanted to know more about humans, and she wanted to know more about Monica too.

Suddenly, something started buzzing in Monica's pocket. Her phone. "We're late for dinner." She told Raf.

Bumblebee made some beeping sounds. "He says he'll drive us home." Raf translated. She watched Bee transform then followed her brother down the stairs.

"So then… I guess we'll be seeing you." Jack said

"Yeah." She glanced at Luna "I guess so."

With that, she slid into the front seat and Raf climbed into the passenger side. The ride home started out in silence. Raf couldn't quite read the look on his sister's face. "Monica? Say something?"

"I just discovered a secret alien race." She mumbled, staring out the windshield. Her hands were off the steering wheel, foot off the pedal. It felt weird letting the Camaro drive itself.

"Okay, I know you're in shock still-" Raf started

"Aliens… actual aliens. From another _planet_. And I'm riding in one. I've _been_ riding in one."

"You're not gonna freak out, are you?" Raf asked nervously.

She suddenly glared at him "How long has this been going _on_? How long have you been involved?"

"Since September…"

She opened her mouth to say something then closed it. She turned her face away, frustrated.

"Please don't be mad…"

"I'm not mad, Raf… I'm worried."

"I know this is a lot to take in. But Monica… Our planet's at stake and the Autobots need our help. For the first time ever, I'm a part of something that makes me feel _important_. I matter to them and I'm making a difference." He paused "Bumblebee and I… we've been through a lot together. He's always there when I need him and he understands me better than anyone."

Bumblebee made more beeping sounds. Raf smiled "He says he'll always protect me."

Monica stared at her brother for a moment. "How can you understand him?"

"I don't know, I just do. No one knows why, really. But I think it's because we have a special bond."

Monica blinked. She fell back in her seat and sighed. "The responsible thing to do would be to tell mom and dad about this and have them put a stop to it… But I'm not going to do that because I can see how much they mean to you, how much_ he_ means to you." She smiled "And I'll admit it, they're pretty amazing. I think I want to see them again."

Bee cheered to the sound of that.

"So… you're not gonna tell anyone, right?" Raf asked.

"You can tell the others that their secret is safe with me."

Bumblebee pulled up to the curb next to their house. His doors swung open. "Thanks, Bee. See you tomorrow." Raf said as they got out.

"Take care of my car, okay?" Monica added. Bumblebee cheerfully beeped then drove off.

Monica looked at the empty space in the street. That's when she realized, now she had no car.

**A/N: Soooo how was it? I hope it wasn't confusing. Sometimes I think I'm the only one who understands my stories. How do you like my OCs so far, like Monica and Luna? (Nova comes more later on). I feel like people hate OCs. Oh did anyone catch my Transformers Bayverse reference? LOL.**

**Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note- Here is chapter 4! The first part focuses on Luna's twin, Nova. I realize their names a kind of similar so just note Luna: Autobot, Nova: Decepticon. I hope that doesn't confuse anyone. The second part focuses on Raf's family. Since Monica will be a main human in this story, I wanted to describe background on her family. It might be a bit boring? But it just needed to be included for later on chapters. I promise not to go overboard on human involvement, but Monica does play a main part to my story, as well as Jack, Raf, and Miko. (Her parents and her sister's won't really play a main part.)**

**Please REVIEW! It encourages me to write more! Even if it's a simple 'update soon', it's still really appreciated!**

**P.S. Next chapter, you'll get more action.**

(Decepticon warship)

"You left her with another autobot?" Megatron snapped "Do you even realize how foolish that was? Now she's bound to find Optimus and the others!" The troopers backed up a little, afraid of what he might do to them.

Nova, Luna's twin, stood beside Soundwave. She had a black paint job with dark purple highlights around the edges. Megatron was pleased when she had come to accompany him after so many eons. She'd been one of his most loyal followers and was an excellent warrior in the battle field. Megatron knew she could be of good use to him.

It just so happened that Nova _and_ Luna had come to Earth around the same time. Days after Nova found her leader, Luna had come looking for hers. Soundwave informed Megatron when he detected her ship, and that wasn't something he could ignore.

Back on Cybertron, The Bellatrix Twins never failed to catch his attention. He realized that these young gladiators had the benefit of each other and only together would they win. That's when he decided, he wanted both twins under his command. He already had one, why not the other? They'd be invincible.

But Nova hated this idea. She wanted nothing to do with her sister. She despised her twin, broke off contact with her eons ago. Nova tried to convince Megatron that he'd only be wasting his time. She knew for a fact that Luna would never become a Decepticon. Luna idolized _Optimus Prime_ and always would.

Megatron wouldn't listen. When Luna refused his generous proposal, it only made him more determined. He'd take her by force if he had to. But Luna got away. And now he's hearing that his troopers left her with another Autobot. The last thing he wanted was for Optimus to gain one of the Bellatrix Twins.

"Lord Megatron, if I may." Nova spoke up "Luna cannot hide behind Optimus Prime. Her destruction will come soon enough. I'll make sure of it."

"No."

"No? She had her chance. She's no different than any other Autobot."

"She's too valuable to us. I want her brought to me alive."

"But master-"

"And since she is your sister, I want _you_ to go and get her. Is that going to be a problem, Nova?"

Nova narrowed her optics. What _exactly_ was he planning to do with her? "Luna isn't the gladiator that you remember. She won't ever obey you and I refuse to ever fight beside her again."

Megatron didn't respond at first. Knockout and Breakdown exchanged looks. Nova stood her ground.

"It's a shame that you think that way. I've always expected great things from the both of you." He turned to face her. "But despite what you think, I expect you to do as I command without question. It seems you have forgotten that."

Standing up to Megatron was gutsy for anyone. That didn't seem to concern Nova. She was mad that he wanted her sister so badly. Mad that she, alone wasn't good enough. But challenging him was pointless. She could see that he wasn't going to change his mind.

Her shoulders relaxed and she pasted on a smug smile, as if he never made her angry to begin with. "I'll see what I can do."

With that, she turned around and walked off. Knockout had a smirk on his face as he watched her go. He went to follow her but Breakdown grabbed his arm. "Probably not a good idea."

"She'll soften up once I introduce myself."

She was walking down the hall when he appeared beside her. "Nova of Bellatrix. Big fan, you know. Name's Knockout. I'm a doctor."

Nova didn't even bother to glance at him. "Not interested."

"Allow me to assist you on your task." He insisted. "I have dealt with the Autobots before. I'm sure they have taken Luna into their team. So how do you plan on distracting them while you go after her?"

Knockout made a good point. The Autobots would stand in her way, ready to back up their newest teammate.

Nova stopped walking and turned to face him. She knew right away what she was dealing with: An egotistical, witty medic with a flawless paint job and body. And she _so _wasn't in the mood. However, she thought it might be smart to gain an ally. One who can provide her with useful information or first aid.

"Alright Knockout, you have my attention. What do you suggest?"

"For starters, you'll need a team too."

(The Esquivel Household)

Monica knew she'd have to lie to her parents about her car. "It's at the auto-shop. It um, needed a repair." And they believed her because she was always so responsible.

At dinner, Monica tried to act normal. She listened to family conversation and laughed at all her dad's bad jokes. She told them about how much she loved college but made sure to mention how much she missed them while away. But every few moments, she would look at Raf, and he knew what was really on her mind.

Monica woke up that morning, confused. It had to have been a dream. That was her only logical explanation. But she remembered it so clearly, it had felt so _real_. She didn't know what to believe. A horn beeped twice from outside, so she got up and went to the window. A yellow Camero had pulled up along the curb, its engine still running. She watched as Raf ran out of the house with his schoolbag. He climbed in and it drove off. _Bumblebee_ drove off.

It had all been real. Her car really was an alien! She backed away from the window and took a deep breath. She tried to relax as she got dressed. Then she headed into the kitchen for something to drink. She opened the fridge and reached for the carton of orange juice.

Her dad soon walked in, dressed in worn-out jeans and a T-shirt with the name of his store on the back. Mr. Esquivel owned a hardware store in town. He was a happy go lucky guy, always cracking jokes and enjoying the little things in life. He loved cars, and was big into NASCAR.

"Someone's up early today." He said.

"Mhmm" She said, taking a sip from her glass.

"I see you picked up your car this morning."

Monica froze. _What?_

"I still can't get over how nice of a car it is." He went on "Especially for a used one. And I really like the white paint job. How about taking me for a spin before work?"

"Uh . . ." Monica's eyes wandered, spotting her cell phone on the counter. She grabbed it. "Be right back!"

She ran into her room and locked the door, rushing over to the window. There it was, there _she_ was, parked right where Bumblebee had been. She immediately called her brother. _Pick up, pick up, pick up_, she whispered, praying that school hadn't started yet.

Raf was hanging out with Jack and Miko before first bell.

"First Jack's mom and now your sister." Miko said to Raf "At this rate, the Autobots will have a whole fan club of humans."

"Come on, Miko. That's not fair. Our families don't count. They kind of have the right to know." Jack said

"Raf's parents don't." She pointed out

Raf just shrugged. His parents didn't have a clue. As far as they knew, their son spends his time after school at the science-fiction club. They're happy he made new friends. Raf felt guilty keeping it a secret from them, but he thought it was best for everyone. His mother wouldn't be as understanding as Jack's. He couldn't imagine how she'd even react.

Monica was his only exception. Raf had always had a close relationship with his oldest sister. He trusted her completely, and he knew she could handle this.

His cell phone buzzed in his backpack. He got it out and checked the caller ID.

_Monica._

"H-hello?"

"Raf! My car- my car is right outside the house! What do I do?"

"Her name is Luna, remember? Also . . . she's your guardian now."

"_What?!_" Monica exclaimed "Raf, I don't need a guardian. I just need a car."

"Well, now you get both." He replied "Just go for a drive or something. Maybe get to know each other."

She sighed, turning to lean back against the wall. "I don't know . . ."

"Just give her a chance."

Monica bit her lip, unsure. She looked outside again, only to see that her sisters were getting into the backseats of the transformer! She gasped "Got to go!"

Monica ended the call and rushed outside. "Julia, Rosie! Out of my car!" She demanded, opening the back door.

Julia and Rosie were both in elementary school. Julia was eight and Rosie just turned seven. "Why can't you drive us to school?" Julia asked.

"Because mom is."

"But we want to ride in your new car."

"Julia, I said out." Monica snapped.

Just then, their mom came out of the house. Mrs. Esquivel was an accountant. She worked all day and when she got home she was busy with laundry, cooking dinner, and helping with homework. Monica didn't know how she did it. She was a super mom, constantly on the go. She was also the strict parent. She always wanted the best for her kids, meaning cooking the healthiest meals and schoolwork always coming first. She expected A's from all of them.

"Girls, _out._" She called. "We're already late. Let's go, into my car."

Her sisters frowned, but did as they were told. Monica approached her mom. She was dressed for work, wearing a white blouse and black dress pants. "Have a good day at work." Monica heard herself say.

Her mom smiled "I know how hard you've been working. But college is miles away. Relax now, you're on vacation. You deserve it."

Monica forced a smile back. "Okay." She waved as her mom pulled out of the driveway. Then she glanced at Luna. "Not a word until my dad's gone."

Luna turned her tires towards Monica.

"I'll be . . . right back." She ran back inside and caught her dad about to go out the garage door. He was leaving for work. She felt bad and promised him a rain-check on that ride he wanted.


	5. Chapter 5

Monica made sure her dad was gone before going back outside to where Luna was waiting patiently. She got in and shut the door. "So… you're my guardian now."

"Yes." Luna replied easily

"And your job is to protect me from uh, Decep- Decepa-"

"Decepticons." Luna filled in. "You'll be safe with me."

"Right…" Monica hesitated, not sure what else to say. _Just give her a chance_, Raf had told her. "Jasper's a lot different from California, but it's a nice town. I've lived here my whole life."

"But you prefer California." Luna said

Monica blinked. Was it really that obvious? "Well… I like it there because it's a fresh start. But Jasper will always be my home." Monica shifted in her seat "Want to go for a drive? I can show you more around town if you're interested."

"Are you sure you won't 'freak out'?"

Monica smiled a bit. Raf probably told her that. "I think I'll be okay, as long as you let me do all the driving."

"Fair enough."

Monica backed out of the driveway then drove off. "So. How do you like Earth?" She made a face because it sounded so weird to say. How else was she supposed to make conversation with a transforming alien robot?

"It's very different from what our planet was like. Cybertron was mostly made of metal and machine, while the majority of Earth consists of water. I find your oceans to be fascinating."

"What about Humans? Why are you so interested to learn more about us?"

"There's a lot more to human kind than I expected. For such small life forms, you're so complex. And intelligent, too. I admire that you care about one another, that you value your friends and family. You hold great potential, I believe."

"On the inside, we're not so different because we all feel emotion, human or not." Monica said this without giving it much thought, but it struck Luna into realizing that she was absolutely right.

"Although I have to say, your Earth customs are… strange." Luna added.

Monica laughed "So are yours. We don't have any _gladiators_ on Earth. At least, not since Ancient Rome." She waited for Luna to respond, but she didn't. "Luna?"

"That part of my life is over. It isn't exactly something I'm proud of."

Monica could hear the sadness in her tone. The last thing she wanted was to force her to talk about it and open old wounds. It wasn't the right time to ask why.

She continued to drive around town, showing Luna everything she needed to know about Jasper. She stopped at the library to pick up a Physics book, and explained to Luna that she was majoring in that subject.

"Monica? Do you get along with your sisters?" The Autobot suddenly asked.

She blinked, caught off guard by her question. "Sure, most of the time. We've got a big age difference, so I'm always telling them what to do. Not that they ever _listen_. My mom thinks that I'm their role model, but I think they just see me as the bossy older sister."

"I'm sure they see more to you than that."

"I guess. But sometimes I can be a stick in the mud."

"Stick in the mud?"

"Oh, it's just an expression. It means that I spoil all the fun. But it's irresponsible of me to let them do whatever they want."

"You look after them, I understand. I'm sure they look up to you." Luna concluded.

There was a pause. "You said that you have a twin sister, didn't you?" Monica asked.

"I do. But our relationship now is… complicated."

"You chose to become an Autobot. She chose to become a Decepticon."

"That's… correct."

"And last week, you saw her for the first time in like, hundreds of years?"

"Yes… along with Megatron."

"Leader of the Decepticons." Monica whispered to herself. That's who she refused to join. Now she understood. "What if you got the chance to talk to your sister alone? Would you try to convince her to join the Autobots?"

"Maybe. But it wouldn't matter. She'd never listen."

"But what if she's changed?"

"You don't know my sister."

Suddenly, Luna's comm. link beeped so she switched it online. "_Luna, we need you back at base,_" ordered Ratchet.

"Is something wrong?"

"_No, just someone here you have to meet._"

"I have Monica with me. Should I take her home first?"

"_Best if she comes too._"

"On my way." She clicked her comm. link offline. "I'll take the wheel now."

Monica dropped her hands and took her foot off the petal. She wasn't thrilled about going back to base without Raf. The other Autobots were complete strangers to her. She would feel a bit out of place. But Luna was her guardian now, so that automatically made her welcome.

To Monica's surprise, once they got there, a _person_ was waiting for them. His name was Special Agent Fowler, the Autobots' designated U.S. government liaison.

"My job is to keep you and the rest of your team out of the public eye." He explained to Luna "Not an easy job, I must say." He paused, now looking at Monica. "I can see that you already blew your cover."

"Raf's my kid brother. I was bound to figure it out." Monica said

"And you understand that you can't discuss this to anyone?"

She nodded.

"Ok, good." He turned his attention back to Luna "So, new recruit, they tell me you're a _gladiator_."

"I used to be."

"Then you must be a heck of a warrior in the field."

Luna gave a shy smile and shrugged.

"Great, then we're lucky you showed up! We're outnumbered and could use a 'bot like you."

"That doesn't necessarily mean we're outmatched, Agent Fowler."

"Good attitude." He went for the elevator "Things are finally looking up. Until next time, Prime."

With that, the doors closed and he was gone.

"He seems nice." Luna said

"Yeah, he's a real ray of sunshine." Bulkhead joked

Monica took a seat on the stairs, trying to act casual. Bumblebee looked at her and started beeping again. She stared up at him, clueless to what he was saying, so she just smiled back awkwardly.

Bulkhead laughed "He wants to know what you think of the team."

"Well… I think I'm happy you're here to defend us. You're all incredible."

"I like her already." Bulkhead said to Bee.

"Monica's studying science in college. She's very smart." Luna smiled

This got Ratchet's attention "Science? Really?"

"Physics. Like the properties of matter and energy, lots of formulas and equations. But _your_ level of science is unbelievable. I mean, you've managed to create a way of teleportation, which human kind thought was scientifically impossible."

"It might surprise you that Earth based science _has _helped us in the past, thanks to your brother." Ratchet said.

Monica smiled "Oh, speaking of Raf, I'm supposed to pick him up from school. But after what happened _yesterday_…" She meant, after witnessing a giant alien robot _death match_.

"Don't worry, we got him." Arcee said. They always picked up the kids from school. "We'll be back."

The three of them transformed and drove off.

Monica walked over to the ground-bridge to observe. Surprisingly, Ratchet followed. She asked him how it worked and he tried to explain, although, she couldn't understand most of what he was talking about. She tried explaining her concepts of Physics with him, but Ratchet shared the same problem. He had to admit, though. He admired her love for science and the way she lit up just talking about it.

Luna approached her leader. "Optimus, do you think I should have mentioned about my sister to Agent Fowler?"

He took a moment to process "He would see Nova as just another Decepticon."

Luna bowed her head "I don't want to have to face her again."

"When that moment comes, you won't be alone."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Got some recent reviews so I decided to update! Here is chapter 6! Reviews would be awesome, and might encourage me to update sooner! **

Bumblebee and Bulkhead returned to base with their human companions. Raf was surprised when he noticed his sister. "Monica! You're here!"

She smiled when she saw him "You bet I am. This place is amazing. I can't even begin to describe the science behind their ground-bridge technology."

"Oh great, another science wiz." Miko said

Monica looked at her "And I think it's a good idea if I keep an eye on you guys from now on."

"Relax, ok? Our 'bots have it under control."

"Really? So you're saying you've never caused any trouble around here?"

"That's right." Miko replied

Ratchet huffed at that.

"Maybe I've tagged along on a few missions-"

"Without their permission." She assumed

"So what? Bulkhead's always got my back! Who are you, anyway, my mother?"

Optimus spoke up for her "Monica is concerned for your safety, as we all are, and her responsibility is admirable."

She smiled up at him, flattered he even took notice to her.

Suddenly, an alarm on the monitor went off. Ratchet checked the readings "I'm detecting a strong energon signal."

"Can you trace the source?" Luna asked

"On a human based computer? _No_."

"Luna and Bulkhead will come with me to investigate." Optimus said

Bulkhead almost jumped for joy. He was going on a mission with one of the most legendary gladiators in Cybertronian history. As for Luna, she felt a bit nervous. The last time she'd been on a team was during the Great War. It didn't end well for her and she hated to think about it, but she was sure the rest of Team Prime suffered from loss also. She wasn't the only one, and she couldn't afford to be paranoid about it.

Monica looked up at her guardian, who seemed to be lost in thought. "You'll do good, Luna."

Luna looked down and smiled, then followed Optimus and Bulkhead into the ground-bridge. Moments later, Arcee and Jack arrived to base.

"Look who finally showed up." Miko exclaimed.

"Don't blame me. Jack was busy socializing." Arcee said

"Let me guess! _With_ _Sierra_?" She teased, making kissy faces.

Jack flushed, placing a hand behind his neck. "Hi, Monica."

She smiled back "Hi, Jack."

"Where's Optimus?" Arcee asked

"Scouting mission with Luna and Bulkhead." Ratchet replied

She chuckled once "Bulk must be thrilled about that."

"I don't see what makes her so special." Miko muttered, a bit out of jealousy.

Arcee shrugged "She was famous on our planet. Can't say I was ever much a fan."

"Why not?" Monica asked

"I don't necessarily agree with watching bots battle for the entertainment of others."

"But wasn't it part of your culture?"

"Do you agree with everything in _your_ culture?"

She made a good point. "No."

"It was an absurd game." Ratchet cut in "The gladiators risked their lives battle after battle, and all they fought for was power and fame."

"In a sense, they were the first warriors of Cybertron." Arcee said. "And they all served under Megatron when the war broke out. He was a gladiator himself, after all."

"Luna didn't."

"She had Orion Pax. Of course she chose the path of an Autobot." Ratchet said

"Who's Orion Pax?" Monica asked.

Raf and Jack exchanged looks. "We should probably tell you everything that's happened this month."

She blinked twice, ready for anything. "Go for it."

They began to tell her everything starting with Unicron's awakening.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, out in the field, Bulkhead was begging Luna to tell him about one of her famous battles. "You've got remember the one at Polyhex! You and Nova against The Destroyer? <em>That <em>was a good match."

She remembered Nova getting seriously hurt, and how close they came to loosing. She _hated_ that match.

Optimus noticed how uncomfortable the subject made her feel. "Bulkhead, let us focus on the mission at hand."

"Right, sorry." He replied

She offered Optimus a sad smile, and he nodded at her.

They continued on as their signal grew stronger. The air around them was starting to thicken and they soon found themselves surrounded by fog. They went on, barely able to ahead of them. Luna focused on a strange structure up ahead. She looked more closely as they passed it, seeing a large platform filled with wooden horses for humans to sit upon. "Where _are_ we?"

"I think we're in an amusement park." Bulkhead said

"A what?"

"You know, it's where people go to play games and go on rides. Miko loves this kind of stuff."

They came across more rides and buildings and noticed how run-down everything looked. "It seems that this place has been abandoned for some time." Optimus concluded.

Luna jumped when she almost walked right into an enormous, concrete statute of a man wearing colorful clothing and makeup. "So bizarre…" She mumbled to herself.

Optimus checked his device to see that their signal had suddenly disappeared. "Bizarre, indeed."

"Now what?" Bulkhead asked

"Finally!" A femme voice called that echoed throughout the park. Luna froze. "I was getting tired of waiting."

Optimus and Bulkhead drew their blasters. "Reveal yourself."

Out of the fog came a dark figure with the exact same build as Luna. She came clearly into view, exposing that she was Luna's Decepticon twin. She casually held her arms in the air to show that she was unarmed. "Three against one seems hardly fair, don't you think, dear sister?"

"What do you want, Nova?" Luna demanded.

"To talk. About you, about me, about Megatron's _ridiculously_ generous offer."

"My answer was final."

"Of course it was. I don't know what he was thinking. You would never reconsider, now would you? But you know how he is, always so insistent when his mind is set on something."

Luna tensed.

"I was surprised myself, actually. Why would Megatron be so interested in you after all this time? You refuse to serve him, and you are no use to me anymore. Even I do not know what he is really planning."

"Are you going to make your point?" Optimus demanded.

She smirked. "You see _Optimus Prime_, I am not here to ask or beg for Luna's corporation. If she does not want to join us willingly, then I'm afraid we will have to take her by force."

Troopers appeared out of the fog, circling around them. Knockout and Breakdown appeared beside Nova. An ambush. "Last chance, dear sister! Come with us and we shall spare you your Autobot comrades."

Luna didn't want anything to happen to her newest teammates. She kept her optics locked on Nova. "Maybe I should go with them."

"I do not wish for you to sacrifice yourself." Optimus replied.

"We can take 'em." Bulkhead added.

She turned her head to look at them, hesitating. She wanted to give herself up, for the sake of her friends. But there was no chance they'd leave her side. They were in this together. "I'm _staying_ with my team." She announced.

"Have it your way." Nova smiled, giving the signal. "Take care of them."

With that, the troopers opened fire. Breakdown went right for Bulkhead and the two of them engaged in a brawl, disappearing into the fog. Luna fought beside Optimus, taking out one 'con after the next. Her massive blade made a good shield from the blaster fire. She looked around for her sister but it was too difficult to see.

Suddenly, Knockout popped out of nowhere, carrying a weapon he used to electrify Optimus. Extreme pain traveled through his circuits and he fell to the ground with a groan. Luna looked down in shock, then up at Knockout, who flashed her a devilish grin. The next thing she knew, she was being hit hard, flying through the air and sliding across the ground.

She quickly got to her feet and picked up her blade, spinning around in every direction, looking for her sister beyond the fog. Nova came into view, walking casually with her blade out and ready.

"I don't want to fight you, Nova."

"I don't think you have much of a choice." She lunged for her sister, raising her blade above her helm. They broke into an intense sword fight. Their blades clashed over and over. Nova was ruthless, while part of Luna was reluctant to fight back.

She took a hit so hard it sent her crashing through a wooden roller coaster. "Sloppy. _Very_ sloppy." Nova called "Being an Autobot has turned you weak!"

Luna groaned, getting to her feet. She was getting angry. She drew her blasters and fired into the fog repeatedly.

"You _chose_ this, Luna. You chose to fight against me. You and I are no longer sisters upon this world, only enemies."

Her words hurt. She shook her head. "Then why am I holding back?"

"You are a fool and I look forward to seeing you prisoner to Megatron."

Luna spotted her in the fog. Angry and upset, she attacked on sight. Her sudden outrage caught Nova off guard and she took a nasty hit to the face. Luna continued to go at her, almost uncontrollably. A powerful spin-kick hit her so hard it sent her crashing through a building, which crumbled down on top of her. Luna knew it wouldn't hold her for long. She grabbed her blade and ran off to find the others.

Back at base, Monica learned about the Matrix of Leadership, Vector Sigma, and everything else leading up to restoring Optimus Prime's memory. She took a moment to let everything sink in. "You've been through a lot… I'm just glad you're all safe."

"Us too." Arcee said.

Monica looked at Jack, anxiously "So you've really been to their planet?"

He smiled "It was no big deal."

"Are you kidding? You are the first person to ever step foot on another _world_! We haven't even made it to Mars yet. You've made the biggest accomplishment in human history!"

Miko rolled her eyes "Too bad no one knows about it."

"Well _I_ know. And I think that's pretty amazing, Jack."

He laughed shyly. "Heh, thanks."

Arcee walked over to check on Ratchet "Any word from the others?"

"No. They should have reported back by now. I cannot seem to contact them."

Luna clicked her comm. link again, trying to get through to Ratchet. Nothing but static. She looked around, unsure what to do next, when she noticed a large figure walking toward her. "Bulkhead!"

As the figure got closer, she realized it wasn't who she thought it was. It was Breakdown. The Autobot didn't have time for another fight. Her only concern was finding Optimus and Bulkhead. She ran off before he could get a clear shot. She ran faster, starting to panic. It was hopeless in this fog, especially without means of communication.

Luna suddenly crashed into someone, lifting her blasters automatically. Alarmed, Optimus and Bulkhead did the same. The two of them seemed unharmed. She sighed in relief, lowering her weapons.

"Luna, are you alright?" Optimus asked.

"Fine. What about yourselves?"

"We're ok." Bulkhead said.

"We need to find a way out of here."

A ground-bride opened up next to them. "Found one." Bulkhead said. They entered it quickly, Luna being last to go through.

"Bulkhead!" Miko called, happy to see him. "We were starting to worry."

"How did you know we needed a bridge?" Optimus asked Ratchet.

"You weren't outside the communication range. I knew something was wrong."

"The 'cons set up an ambush." Bulkhead explained.

"What?!"

Luna didn't want to talk about it. She glanced at Monica, who started up at her with concern. The Autobot couldn't fake a smile. She walked off down the hall without saying a word.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/U: I'M BACK! And I apologize for the lack of attention I'm giving this fic. I literally plan out more chapters in my head all the time, I just never get the chance to type them up! I have been so busy with work and school this summer, it's crazy. ANYWAY, sorry again. Here's chapter seven, which focuses mostly on Luna and Monica getting to know each other and their backstories. AS A SPECIAL TREAT, I will post chapter 8 tomorrow! It's all typed up with WAY more action. SO PLEASE REVIEW and let me know that you're still into this story. I really do have a lot in store for it! ~DD**

For the first time in months, Monica couldn't sleep. She had to lie to her patents about Luna again, claiming that her 'car' needed more repairs. She wondered if her parents would ever grow suspicious if she continued to lie about it always disappearing... at least until she returned back to school. But then what? She'd be stuck on campus without an actual car.

She lay awake that night, staring up at the ceiling, thinking about what could have happened on that mission that made Luna so upset. Maybe it had to do with her sister, or Megatron, or both.

A horn startled her from outside so she got up to look out the window. Luna was there waiting with her engine running. She wanted to go for a ride.

Monica quickly put on a hoodie and sneakers. It was 2 in the morning and her family was sound asleep, including Raf. She snuck out the front door and approached Luna, reaching for the driver's door. "I wasn't expecting you."

"I needed to get away from base." Luna replied.

She nodded "Let me take the wheel, ok?"

Monica drove down the street and through town. She turned onto the main road leaving Jasper, and continued driving for miles. Luna began to wonder where she was taking her. They were heading toward nothing but desert.

Monica finally turned down a dirt road, driving past massive desert rocks. She approached one in particular that was different from the rest. The structure was in the shape of an arc, big enough to fit a house underneath it.

"Come on" Monica said, starting to climb her way to the top.

"Wait, Monica..."

"It's safe, I promise."

Luna hesitated "I'll wait down here. So I can catch you if you fall."

"Not likely. I've been rock climbing since I was, like, twelve. My dad showed me how." She explained as she continued to climb. "It's a good work out, you know. Builds strong legs."

She suddenly disappeared once she reached the top. "Monica?" Luna called, a bit anxious.

Her tiny head popped out from over the edge. "You coming up?"

Luna decided to climb up herself, and once she did, the first thing she noticed was the sky. There were millions of stars shinning above them without a single cloud in sight.

"Pretty cool, huh? Course you're probably used to a view like this. You're _from_ outer space."

"I could never get tired on a sight like this." Luna smiled, sitting down beside her human friend.

Monica sighed, lying down on her back. "I used to have trouble sleeping at night because High School stressed me out so much. I would drive out here on my own sometimes, and just stare at the sky for hours. It made me forget about everything for a little while, like I wasn't on the same planet anymore."

Luna looked at her. She said the most interesting things.

"I sleep better now. My mom made me see a therapist, and put me on medication. I was against all of it, at first. But it did help."

Luna wondered if it was her turn to confess something from her past, but she didn't know what to say.

"Luna? Why did you become an Autobot?" The teenager suddenly asked.

Luna blinked, thinking about how to answer. "Because I knew it was the right path to choose."

"But everyone was expecting you to become a Decepticon, weren't they?"

"Why do you think that?" Luna questioned out of curiosity.

"Arcee said that the gladiators chose to follow Megatron... So why didn't you?"

Luna sighed. "Back on Cybertron, being a gladiator was my entire life. I was always training and preparing for my next match. I always had to be focused because the game was a matter of life and death. Fighting was all that I knew how to do. I was raised that way and I never questioned it."

Monica sat up to look at her.

"I knew the balance of our world was changing. Our cities were dying, and there was rebellion against our leaders. Over time, it only got worse. I was told to ignore these problems happening, and continue to battle as usual. But it didn't seem right. I was watching helplessly as our world was falling apart."

"Oh, Luna…" Monica said, sadly.

"Then I met Orion Pax," The Autobot smiled to herself. "And he believed that violence was not the way to achieve peace on Cybertron. The more time I spent with him, the more inspired I was to change. Orion made me realize that I was never happy being a gladiator. I wanted to start fighting for more important matters."

"So you quit?"

"Yes. But I had to consider how my sister would react. We were partners in this from the start... Nova was furious when I told her. She said that I was betraying her, and that I was giving up everything we had worked for. I tried to convince her to quit with me, so we could help save our planet. She wouldn't listen."

Monica blinked, not sure what to say.

"The war started shortly after Orion Pax became Optimus Prime. I chose to follow him instead of Megatron. Everyone was surprised, I suppose. But I knew I made the right decision. As an Autobot, I fight for the freedom of all sentient beings. I fight for those who mean something to me, like my new team... and our human friends."

Monica smiled "Thank you for being here to protect us."

"I won't allow what happened to my home happen to yours."

Monica fell silent for a moment. "...The Autobots are going to win this war, right?"

"We're going to try with everything we've got."

* * *

><p>(Meanwhile, aboard the Nemesis)<p>

Nova, Knockout, and Breakdown stood before Megatron. "Well? Where is she?" Their leader demanded.

"Luna obviously was unwilling to cooperate. This mission was a waste of time." Nova said.

"How difficult is it to capture your own sister?" He snapped.

"I do believe we should be focusing our efforts on more important matters." Nova replied. "I've heard that ancient Cybertronian relics are well within our reach. We possess several sets of coordinates that _Orion Pax_ decrypted himself. Yet all you're worried about is taking Luna prisoner."

"I suggest you watch your tone, Nova, before I lose all my patience with you. It is clear that you are also lacking _cooperation_." Megatron paused, realizing that he better give some kind of explanation in order to keep trust between them. "Knockout, Breakdown, you are dismissed. I wish to speak to Nova alone."

The two mechs exchanged looks, surprised they got off so easy. Then they made their exit.

"Luna will not be my prisoner." Megatron explained. "She is my prize, just as you are. You both are two of my greatest accomplishments. True champions! I just want it to be like it used to, when the three of us were invincible. Tell me, Nova, is that so wrong?"

She blinked, not sure how to take this. "I suppose not."

"I know you think that Luna betrayed us, but it is not her fault. Optimus Prime is to blame! He took her from us, filling her mind with absurd ideas about the balance of our world. If it wasn't for him, she would be standing here with us today."

"Perhaps... you have a point."

"I've always been impressed by you, Nova. You and I have always shared the same goals. You have been loyal to me since the very beginning. Don't think it has gone unnoticed. In fact, I plan to make you my second in command soon."

"Second in command?" She repeated "What about Arachnid?"

"Her loyalty has been questionable during my audience with Unicron. I'm still deciding what to do with her."

"And Starscream?"

"Dead to our cause."

Nova finally smiled. "It would be an honor to serve as your second in command."

Behind the closed doors, Arachnid overheard everything. Megatron knew of her treachery, as she suspected. But she planned to convince him of a misunderstanding and prove that she was trustworthy; perhaps by retrieving a relic all on her own, or by capturing Autobot Luna. Nova stood as her only threat. Arachnid narrowed her eyes and walked off down the hall, thinking something had to be done about that.

* * *

><p>Monica woke up to the sound of a car alarm. She realized it was Luna right outside, probably trying to wake her up. It was almost noon. "Ok, Luna, ok." She groaned, getting out of bed. Then she wondered why she didn't just honk the horn? Monica glanced outside to see someone checking out her car. It was a familiar face.<p>

She quickly got dressed and rushed outside. "Skylar?"

A blonde haired, petite girl, dressed in a diner's uniform, spun around and grinned when she saw her friend. She ran over to hug her. "Monica!"

"What are you doing here?" She asked, forcing a smile.

"What am I doing here? My best friend is home from college and she doesn't even bother to call me!"

"Sorry. I've been... kind of busy."

"Is that your car?"

"Yeah I-"

"Holy shit! You're kidding me, right? How did you even afford it?"

"It's used. Abused, really. Needs a _ton_ of repairs."

"Well I'll forgive you for not calling me if you give me a ride to work!"

"I don't think now's a good time-"

But Skylar was already getting into the passenger's seat. Good thing the diner was just up the road. She knew Luna wouldn't mind.

"So, what's the 411? How do you like Cali, _really_? Have you met any cute guys?"

Monica chuckled "Not really."

"I was expecting you to come back this really tan, really hot surfer girl. What gives?"

"Um, I'm majoring in _physics_? I've been studying my butt off!"

Skylar laughed "But you're so lucky you got to go away! I'm stuck in this same old town, with the same old people... Basically I'm going to college with everyone from High School. Although, I did meet this one guy in my Phycology class. He'sfrom _New York_. How cool is that?"

"What's his name?"

"Ricky. Ricky Hendricks. He's so sweet and funny. We've been hanging out a lot... I think I might be in love with him."

"Hmm."

"What?"

"Nothing... it's just that, you say that you're in love with every guy you date."

"No I don't."

"Yes… you do."

She crossed her arms "Well this time is different. What would you know about being in love anyway?" Skylar froze, wishing she could take that back.

"Yeah, you're right. What would I know?" Monica replied, bitterly.

"I wasn't thinking, I shouldn't have said that. You know I'm sorry about everything that happened with Carter... But you can't close yourself off from ever feeling something again."

"Just drop it, Skylar." Monica said. She really didn't want Luna to hear this. There were bigger problems they had to worry about.

"He was a jerk, no doubt about that. But that doesn't mean all guys are." She went on "All I'm saying is, you should be more open to dating new people. I could totally set you up with someone. Just consider it?"

"Ok, ok. I'll _think_ about it."

Monica pulled into the diner and Skylar grinned at her. "I'll call you later. We've got to catch up!" Skylar got out and walked up to the building, waving goodbye before she entered.

Monica let out a deep breath. Skylar Brooks always knew how to give her anxiety. She was just too much to handle sometimes. "Sorry, that was my friend from High School."

"She sure seemed excited to see you."

"Yeah, I haven't seen her in months. She lives down the block from my house. We pretty much grew up together."

Luna wondered why her friend was trying to find her a new partner, and she wondered what could have happened to her old one. She had lost a partner once too. Perhaps she had more in common with the human than she thought.

Monica put the gear in reverse and they started driving back to base. "You know, it's funny. Skylar was the pretty, popular cheerleader in High School, and me? I was just the science geek. But she always included me in everything, even with her friends. I never felt like I fitted in with them, but they accepted me anyway, because Skylar told them I was her friend. Believe me, most girls like her are bigheaded. I guess I was expecting her to shut me out of her life."

"She sounds like a very loyal friend. You should cherish that always."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Here is chapter 8! Note that the two Cybertronian relics in this chapter are my ORIGINAL creations. I made them up to add plot, so let me know what you think of them. I'll try to update soon. REVIEWS may help ;)**

Ratchet was alone at base when Luna and Monica arrived. He was keeping a close watch on the monitors. "Where's the team?" Luna asked.

"We have detected two relic signatures at the same time. They split up in hopes of retrieving both."

"Why are these ancient relics on Earth anyway?" Monica asked

"They were transported here, for safe keeping, during the war." Luna explained.

"The purpose _was_ to keep them out of Decepticon reach." Ratchet added.

Suddenly, the monitor went off, locating a third relic signature. Ratchet couldn't believe how much activity the Cons were throwing at them today. "I'll go." Luna volunteered.

"By yourself? Are you sure?"

"I think I can handle it." Ratchet gave her a skeptical look. Then she added, "You know I'm capable, Ratchet."

"Fine, fine." The medic agreed, preparing the ground-bridge. He looked at Monica "Since the team is divided, I'll need help monitoring the emergency channels."

She looked around, shocked. "Me? But I don't know anything about-"

"It's all Earth-based tech. You should be familiar with it."

"Right..." Monica took a seat at one of the computers, studying the information on the screen. It showed five life signals for each Autobot out in the field. It was self-explanatory.

Luna looked back before entering the ground-bridge. Monica gave her a thumbs up, offering a hopeful smile for the both of them.

* * *

><p>(Location: Rocky Mountains)<p>

Meanwhile, Bulkhead and Bumblebee were in the middle of battle, and they were in deep trouble. Arachnid and Breakdown possessed the relic known as the Nitro Shock, a powerful staff with the ability to harness and eject electricity. It was of Decepticon origin. One zap could fry their circuits to a crisp.

Arachnid shot another bolt of lightning straight for Bumblebee, but he swiftly slid underneath it. She growled, turning her attention to a much easier target. Breakdown and Bulkhead were in an intense lock, trying to break each others hold. Arachnid aimed the relic for Bulkhead. Bumblebee noticed this and instantly went after her. But he slammed into her too late and the lightning bolt was released. At the last second, Bulkhead forced Breakdown in front of him, and his rival was electrocuted right before his eyes. The blue mech groaned, falling to the ground in defeat.

Arachnid kicked Bumblebee off of her and quickly rose, placing the staff on his chest. "Not another move, bug."

Bulkhead fired his blasters, and Arachnid stumbled when she got hit in the back. Bumblebee then reached for the staff and tried to pull it from her grasp. She struggled for control as Bumblebee struggled not to let the thing zap him. Another lightning bolt was released, traveling sideways and striking a nearby tree.

Suddenly, there was a crash of thunder, and the sky filled with heavy, dark clouds. Bulkhead stopped in his tracks. "Uh oh."

Arachnid pulled the relic free from Bumblebee's grip. A strike of lightening flashed from the sky, and the scout backed away slowly. Arachnid smiled "Perfect timing."

She transformed and flew to higher ground, raising the staff in the air. She was going to harness the energy from the next lightning strike, which would give her ultimate power. Once that happened, there was a small chance that they would make it out alive.

Bulkhead felt he had no choice but to call the base. "Ratchet, we need to get out of here. _Now_."

A ground-bridge instantly opened up beside him. Arachnid noticed this, just as there was another loud crash of thunder. "Leaving so soon?! We haven't gotten to the best part!"

Bumblebee buzzed with anger. He transformed and gunned his engine. She was caught off guard when the scout rammed into her, sending the staff flying. It landed in the middle of everything, piercing the ground so it stuck out.

The three of them froze for a split second before rushing after it. Just then, lightning from the sky struck the staff, capturing more energy than ever imagined by human kind.

Bumblebee was the first one to grab it.

Arachnid gasped, backing up slowly as the scout held high his new weapon. The staff released lightning bolts into the sky from all different angles, as it seemed to be pulsing with energy. She growled, aware that she had been beaten. Arachnid transformed and flew off.

"Nice job, Bee." Bulkhead said. He blinked. "You can lower the relic now. You're making me nervous."

Breakdown groaned, seeming to come to his senses. He stumbled as he got to his feet and looked around in a daze. He saw that Bumblebee had the relic. Arachnid was nowhere to be found.

"What's the matter, Breakdown? Can't handle a little lightening?" Bulkhead teased.

The Con growled, but decided he'd better retreat while he still had the chance.

* * *

><p>(Location: Amazon rainforest)<p>

Meanwhile, Optimus and Arcee were making their way through the jungle. Optimus slashed at vines and branches while Arcee followed behind, monitoring the relic's energy signature.

Nova and Knockout had already dug up the relic. It was called the Dark Nous, another staff with an unusual gemstone attached to the end. It has the ability to control the mind of any Cybertronian, but only if the victim is forced to stare into the gem long enough.

"Do you think it really works?" Knockout asked.

From a distance, Optimus and Arcee had their blasters ready. "Surrender the relic!"

Nova smiled at the chance to play games with Optimus Prime. Back on Cybertron, she always welcomed a fight against him. She constantly tried to mess with his head, but Prime would never lose his temper, never show any sign of emotion. He always seemed to have everything under control. It was ridiculous! Nova hoped one day she would see him crack.

"Let's find out." Nova said, playfully. "Keep Prime busy."

"Me?!"

"Just for a moment. You can handle it, can't you?"

If he wanted to impress her, he thought now was his chance. Nova focused her attention on the two-wheeler. She was only interested in seeing how Prime would react, once she turned his little Autobot friend against him.

Nova attacked Arcee with the relic in hand. Size difference aside, Arcee knew she didn't stand a chance against the former gladiator. But she had to try. Nova allowed her to put up a fight, no blasters involved. She was surprised by how well she fought for a two-wheeler. She almost even got a hit on her. But Nova prevailed, hitting Arcee so hard that it sent her flying through the jungle. Optimus saw this and yelled for her, but the Autobot could only groan, looking up helplessly at Nova.

She held out the relic in front of her face. "Arcee, is it? You're lucky, this shouldn't hurt at all."

Once it started to glow, Arcee couldn't look away. Her mind started to go someplace else. Her optics turned deep red.

"Do as I command, _Arcee_. Attack your leader and show no mercy!"

"Nova! Let her go!" Optimus demanded.

Nova smirked, without turning around. She waited for Arcee to get up. "Sure, she's all yours."

Nova moved out of the way, and Arcee went after him with full force. Optimus blocked her, confused as to why Arcee was attacking him. Then he noticed the relic that Nova was holding, and realized this was beyond her control.

Nova casually stepped around them as she went over to go stand with Knockout. He grinned at her, proud of himself. "Not even a scratch."

The two of them turned to watch as Arcee and Optimus continued to battle. "At least we know it works." Nova said.

"It is rather amusing to see Optimus Prime so helpless against a fellow Autobot."

Nova laughed "That was my plan. He could easily take her down, but he won't. Prime shows too much compassion. It's his greatest weakness."

As a ground-bridge opened up beside them, Nova turned to say one last thing. "Play nice you two! I assume Megatron will be eager to turn your entire _team_ against you!"

Optimus didin't know what to do. He couldn't hurt Arcee, even if she was under mind control. He called the base. "Ratchet, I need your help."

* * *

><p>After Optimus explained the situation, Ratchet immediately opened a ground-bridge. "I need to help Optimus out in the field. Can you monitor the channels without me?"<p>

"No problem." Monica answered. He had taught her how to set coordinates for the ground-bridge. There was nothing to it.

"You can contact me if there is an emergency." She watched him as he prepared a syringe tube, containing a sedative for Arcee. If they didn't want to hurt her, they were going to have to put her in a stasis.

"Okay…" Monica replied, wondering if she should ask what's wrong. Instead she added "Good Luck."

As soon as Ratchet left, Luna called the base for him. "It's just me, Luna. Ratchet went to help Optimus. Did you find the relic?"

"No... I've searched the entire area, but there's no sign of Decepticon activity. And I can't seem to trace the signal. Are you sure I'm at the correct location?"

Monica checked the computer "You're at the right coordinates... Maybe you were too late?"

"That's possible... Something just doesn't feel right."

Luna was about to request a bridge when someone called her name. She recognized that voice right away. Slowly she turned around to see Megatron standing before her, falling right into his trap.


	9. Chapter 9

"Luna? Can you hear me? Do you need a bridge? Luna?"

Luna did not respond. Was she supposed to retreat? She hated to keep running from him. She was no coward! It was now or never, Luna decided to confront him. She turned off her comm. link.

"I assume we're surrounded." She called out to him. They were a good distance apart.

"Fear not, Lunar Mist. It is I alone."

She glared at him for using her full birth name. No one ever called her that anymore. "What do you want with me, Megatron? I thought I made myself clear."

"I have been more than patient with you, and I've grown tired of this game. It's time you stop fooling around and accept who you really are."

"I am an Autobot!"

"No, you're not. This is your attempt to get back at me, over something I did before the war started. But I was only trying to _help_ you. I never realized how much you cared for that mech, otherwise I might have spared him."

Luna's hands turned to fists. "I would have become an Autobot regardless of that incident."

"I highly doubt that. It _was_ the reason you decided to turn on us, wasn't it?"

"Among many other reasons!"

He walked closer as he spoke. "Of course… Like how Optimus Prime managed to convince you that your own mentor was the enemy!"

"…Where are you going with this?"

"To assure you that all is forgiven! You will not be punished, Lunar Mist. I simply want you back where you belong."

"I was never a Decepticon to begin with."

"But you were a gladiator, and you belong with your fellow champions."

Luna fell quiet for a moment. She looked up at him standing in front of her. "You're wrong... I belong with the Autobots… and we're going to take you down for the monster that you are."

He grabbed her by the neck, pinning her against a rock wall. "I will not have one of my own champions fight against me. You are _mine_, Lunar Mist. I made you the warrior that you are today, and you _will _obey me, is that clear?"

"Then why not just kill me right now? I'd rather die than serve you!"

He ignored her, looking thoughtful for a moment. "Perhaps proper discipline is the only way to get through to you, as it _has_ worked in the past."

She remembered, during her gladiator days, what would happen when she stepped out of line or messed up during a match. He would make her fight him as punishment to teach her a lesson. But she never fought back, afraid that if she did, it would only make things worse. It was humiliating and painful and cruel.

She squirmed under his grasp "No!"

Megatron threw her across the ground and she slammed into another rock. She growled and got to her feet, reaching for her blade. She wasn't going to stand for this, not anymore.

When Bulkhead and Bumblebee arrived back to base, Monica was in a panic. "Thank goodness you're back. I'm all alone here and Luna's not responding. She could be in trouble right now!"

"Slow down, Monica." Bulkhead said "Where's Ratchet?"

"He went to help Optimus and Arcee. I haven't heard from them either. What do we do?"

"We'll go help Luna, she's out there alone." Bulkhead decided. "You stay here and wait for the others."

Monica nodded, opening a ground-bridge for Luna's location. Bumblebee and Bulkhead showed up just in time to witness the brawl between Megatron and Luna. Luna looked all beat up, but she did not falter, not even for a second. She had never fought Megatron like this before, not without holding back. It felt good to put a few dents in him, and she was surprised by how well she was doing.

Megatron finally had enough. He grabbed her by the neck and slammed her onto the ground, pinning her beneath him. "_Very_ impressive!" He laughed, "You truly are my protégé!"

"What are you waiting for? Finish me already."

"No, no, my dear... I'm not going to kill you. The truth is, no matter how stubborn you are, I will always be fond of you..." He touched her thigh, sliding his hand up along her curves.

"Let _go_ of me!"

Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light as Megatron yelled out in agony. Luna crawled out from under him, looking over to see Bulkhead holding the Nitro Shock. The lightning bolt hit Megatron directly in the back. Not even _he_ could withstand that kind of power. He fell to the ground and lost consciousness.

Bumblebee and Bulkhead rushed over to Luna. The young scout lifted up her arm, trying to examine her injuries. She smiled. "I'm alright... Just glad I can take a hit."

"No kidding. You look like you took a pounding."

"Thanks, Bulk."

"Er, what I mean is... what made you want to take on Megatron alone?"

She glanced over at him lying there and sighed. "I don't know... Maybe I thought I could end him once and for all."

"Maybe now's our only chance." Bulkhead thought out loud.

Luna shook her head "No... not like this. Optimus wouldn't. Not without offering him one last chance."

When the three of them got back to base, the others had already returned. Arcee was unconscious, placed standing up in Ratchet's medical chamber.

"What happened?!"

"Arcee attacked Optimus because she was under the mind controlling powers of the Dark Nous relic. She should be back to normal once she regains consciousness." Ratchet explained. He looked at Luna "What happened to _you_?"

"Oh… there was no relic. Instead I had another encounter with Megatron..."

This got Optimus' attention. "What did he say, Luna?"

"Nothing important... He thought he could beat some sense into me, that's all."

"I'd better examine you right away-" Ratchet started

"I'm fine, really I am. Please focus on helping Arcee."

"There's nothing more I can do for her at the moment. You, on the other hand, need medical attention. So sit."

Luna wasn't about to argue. She sat on the lab table. "I take it they got away with the Dark Nous?"

Optimus nodded. "I couldn't hurt Arcee over a relic."

"Hey, at least we got the Nitro Shock out of all of this." Bulkhead said. "Megatron sure didn't see that one coming."

Monica walked down the stairs to join everyone "You guys really know how to give a girl a heart attack on her first day."

Luna smiled when she saw her. "Forgive us, Monica. We didn't mean to scare you."

"You're okay, right?"

She nodded "I've had much worse."

She looked at Ratchet "And Arcee will wake up just fine?"

"Yes, you do not have to worry." He smiled a little at her "You did a good job."

* * *

><p>Megatron awakened in the war ship's lab, trying to remember what had caused him to black out. "What happened?" He hissed, pulling off the cables that were attached to his body.<p>

Nova and Knockout were in the room, surprised to see their master awake.

"Lord Megatron," Nova stepped closer to him. "Arachnid failed to retrieve the Nitro Shock. The Autobots now have it and did not hesitate to use it on you."

"Thankfully none of the damage is permanent, but you may need some time to rest in order to fully recuperate." Knockout explained "That much electricity could have killed you."

Megatron stood up anyway, his hands turning to fists "Where _is_ Arachnid?"

Nova smirked "She's somewhere around here, hiding no doubt."

Megatron growled, holding his head in pain as he exited the lab. Nova followed behind him. "Tell me you have secured the other relic."

"The Dark Nous is in our possession. I believe it will be of good use to us." She looked up at him. "Can I ask what you were doing in a random location all alone?"

"It does not concern you."

"If you were going after Luna, I think it does." She waited for him to say something, but he remained silent. "Master, you must rest. I will work to secure the remaining relics-"

"No. I want the Nitro Shock in our possession first. A relic that powerful must not be used against us." He said, entering the vault room to view his newest treasure: The Dark Nous relic. "And I'm going to have Luna retrieve it for us, once she's completely under my control."

**A/U: UPDATE YAY! As you can tell, Megatron has this little obsession with Luna, since they have such a history together. (He was her mentor/trainer before the war. More details later on). SO he plans to use the relic on her, and turn her against the Autobots. Arachnid is pretty much screwed, since she's the reason Megatron almost got killed. Next chapter comes WHEELJACK! We'll see how he reacts to meeting Luna. Reviews are much appreciated!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: HERE IS A NEW CHAPTER TO START OFF THE NEW YEAR! Sorry it took so long, I kept getting writers block. It's longer than usual at least! Hopefully I can get another chapter out before I start school, so review and let me know what you think!**

It was late in the afternoon and Monica was home, not sure what to do with herself. Her parents were still at work, her little sisters were at an after school play date, and her brother probably got picked up by Bumblebee as soon as school let out. She didn't want to bother Luna since she was still recovering from her injuries.

So without a car, Monica decided to get her old bicycle out of the garage. She rode into town to go surprise her dad at work. He's owned _Andy's Hardware Store_ for as long as she could remember. It's something she grew up with.

When she got there, he was up on a ladder trying to put up Christmas lights. He seemed to be struggling with them. "Hey, Dad."

He grinned down at her. "Hey, Kiddo!"

"You… need a hand?"

"Uh, sure, hand me that stable gun."

"You do realize you're a little late putting up these lights? Christmas is like, a week away." She said, as he reached down for the gun.

"Your mother thinks the shop isn't _festive_ enough."

Monica looked around, noticing that most of the other shops weren't decorated at all. "Yeah, tell that to the rest of the town."

"Well, she thinks it'll attract more customers who are Christmas shopping. She's probably right. I've been meaning to do this, anyway. I just haven't had the time." He noticed her bike leaning against the store. "Hey, your car still not fixed?"

"Not yet."

"I don't know, Monica. Maybe you shouldn't have bought such an abused car. I know you're living on your own now, but I could have helped you find one in better condition."

"But I got a bargain for it. And my friend at the Auto shop is fixing it up for me, free of charge." She wasn't sure where that lie came from, it sort of just slipped out.

"Yeah? Have I met this friend of yours?"

"No." She said too quickly. "Well, I knew him from High School, and he owed me a favor." She changed the subject "I thought you liked my new car?"

"Sure, on the outside it looks fantastic. But what matters most is how it runs on the inside. I don't want you breaking down when you're driving back to school."

"Don't worry; it'll be good as new in no time. I love this car, Dad. It has… _personality_."

"Personality, huh? Bring home a car from NASCAR. Then we'll talk about personality." He joked.

Monica helped her dad finish putting up the Christmas lights. He was glad she stopped by. She was a big help, plus, he missed spending time with her.

Monica's eyes wandered across the street and she noticed Jack walking out of K.O.'s Burgers. She looked at her dad who was hanging up a Christmas wreath on the front door. It looked like he could handle it on his own. "Hey, I'm gonna go talk to my friend over by K.O.'s, okay?"

"Sure, Kiddo."

Jack took out his cell phone and was about to call for Arcee when someone shouted his name. He looked up to see Monica and smiled "Hey."

"Hi. I was just helping my Dad put up Christmas lights and I saw you..." She explained, awkwardly.

He nodded "At least someone's getting a little into the holiday spirit around here."

"Tell me about it. Did you just get off work?"

"Yeah, I was about to call Arcee to pick me up."

"Oh." Monica hesitated, unsure if she should even bring it up. "Did you… hear what happened yesterday?"

"It's okay, I know all about it. Arcee's fine now. She said Luna's feeling better too."

Monica sighed in relief "You should have been there, Jack. I was freaking out. I mean, that was beyond anything I have ever dealt with before."

Jack defiantly knew how they felt. "You get used to it. The team was impressed by you, though."

"I'm just glad they're okay." She said, smiling. She paused for a moment "Do you… want to hang out? We could get frozen yogurt down the street, if you like frozen yogurt. It's healthier than ice cream, at least."

He smiled at her "Sure, that sounds great."

As the two of them walked there, Monica was curious to know a little more about him and Arcee. "Do you like having Arcee as your guardian?"

"She's great. My life has changed completely since I met her."

She smiled. "Do you know what she did before the war started?"

"She was a teacher."

"Really? Did she like it?"

"She tells me it's something she misses a lot."

"Luna hated being a gladiator." Monica frowned "It pains her to talk about it. I think that she's very troubled from her past, and I think that Megatron has a lot to do with it. I wish I could help her."

"Arcee's had a rough past too. She's lost two of her partners from this war. One of them was her sparkmate."

"Sparkmate?"

"It's like a special connection two Cybertronians have, and they bond to spend eternity together, or something like that."

Monica smirked "Sounds like marriage."

"Yeah but marriage doesn't always work out. Sparkmates do, apparently."

"If only it were that easy on Earth, huh?"

Jack half smiled, only to look down at the sidewalk. What she didn't realize was that his parents didn't exactly work out themselves.

The frozen yogurt place was the best in town. Monica couldn't believe he had never tried it before. They were sitting at a table outside, just about finished, when Jack received a phone call. He checked the caller ID before answering. It was Miko. "_Dude_! Why aren't you at base? It's after 5!"

"Relax, Miko. I'm with Monica. We got frozen yogurt."

"_Monica_? Why are you with Monica?"

Monica could hear her from across the table. She made a face, offended by her tone. "Uh, because she's our friend?" Jack answered.

"Yeah, yeah, sure. But you have to see the tree we got. It's _huge_! Arcee is on her way to get you right now."

"Alright, we'll be there soon." He ended the call.

Monica looked at him, arching a brow. "Are you and Miko like… together?"

"What? No! There's _nothing_ going on between us. Miko is like the annoying sister that I never had… Don't tell her I said that."

Monica laughed "Got it. I was just wondering."

They went to go meet up with Arcee who was waiting patiently at K.O. Burger's. Monica was happy to see that she was feeling like herself again. She watched as Jack put on his helmet, not sure if she should go along for the ride. "You coming?" Jack asked.

"My mom would kill me if she saw me on a motorcycle. She doesn't think they're safe."

Jack smirked. "Arcee isn't your average motorcycle."

"I promise to drive slowly." Arcee added, although Monica thought she heard a bit of sarcasm in her tone. She gave in anyway and climbed on behind Jack.

Arcee was always one to follow speed limit rules. But once she got away from traffic, she picked up some speed, just for fun. Monica got nervous and quickly wrapped her arms around Jack. He smiled a little, feeling his face flush. When Arcee shifted her side-view mirrors to check on them, she could see that Monica was smiling and enjoying the ride.

At base, the first thing they noticed was the Christmas tree that Miko was talking about. It was almost as tall as Optimus, completely decorated with lights and bows and everything.

"Very nice, guys" Jack smiled, looking up at it.

"Bulkhead and I did most of the work." Miko said, earning her an angry response from Bumblebee and Raf. "Okay, okay, they helped too."

Monica rushed over to see Luna, who surprisingly looked a lot better. "Wow, Luna, you clean up good."

"Thank you. I tried to repair my finish as best I could." She replied.

"Are you… in pain?"

"Hardly at all. I feel fine. But I must remain at base until I am cleared for action." She gave Ratchet a playful look "However long that may be."

"Your systems need time to fully recover." Ratchet insisted. "Megatron _did_ inflict serious damage. You must not push yourself."

Suddenly, the alarm went off, and everyone huddled around the monitor. Surveillance footage popped up on the screen, showing a familiar ship that had just landed on top of their base.

"That's Wheeljack's ship!" Bulkhead rejoiced "ALRIGHT JACKIE'S BACK!" They watched as Wheeljack stumbled out of the Jackhammer, clutching his chest in pain. Bulkhead gasped, "He's hurt. Ratchet, open the hatch!"

Everyone stared as Bulkhead helped Wheeljack into base. Ratchet immediately sat him down to examine his wound. His chest was cut open pretty badly. Energon was leaking everywhere. Wheeljack looked around. He could see that no one was missing from the last time he was here. That was good.

Then he noticed Luna and their optics met. They stared at each other for what seemed to be some of the longest seconds of his life. His spark started to _burn_ inside his chest, which made him forget all about his wound. It was a strange sensation, a new feeling he had never felt before, all because he made eye contact with some used-to-be gladiator? All he knew was that he didn't like it, not one bit.

"How did this happen, Wheeljack?" Ratchet questioned, cutting off his thoughts.

"I was being tracked down by a Decepticon ship." Wheeljack explained. "Big enough to fit a whole team of 'cons. I played it safe and decided not to engage. Tricked them into thinking I head off in another direction. Really I ended up right back in this familiar solar system. So I thought I'd hideout here and pay Team Prime a visit."

"That still doesn't explain how you got hurt." Arcee noted.

"Why don't you ask _her_." He replied, bitterly, gesturing towards Luna. Everyone turned to look at her.

She blinked "Me? What did I do?"

"Not you. Your twin."

"Nova did this to you?!"

"Yeah, she made sure to give me a warm welcome as soon as I entered Earth's atmosphere. She also managed to damage my ship beyond repair, so you can thank her for that as well."

His tone was somewhat offensive, but her response was calm. "I am not affiliated with my sister anymore. She is the enemy."

"Right. And I'm guessing everyone here thinks you're on our side?"

"I _am_."

Wheeljack shook his head "You're a ruthless killer, like every other gladiator out there. You're all Decepticons. So don't act so surprised because I bet you were in on this."

"Whoa, hold up, Jackie. You got it all wrong-" Bulkhead cut in.

"She's one of them, Bulk, and she knows it's true. She's got everyone fooled. It's only a matter of time before she turns on you."

Luna stared at him for a moment, not sure how to take this. "Your opinion is duly noted. I'll let Ratchet patch you up." She simply replied, and walked away before things could get any worse.

Monica glared up at Wheeljack "Hey, who do you think you are? You don't even know her!"

"I know her kind. She can't be trusted."

"You have no idea what she's been through." She said, and then ran off to find Luna.

"Wheeljack, that behavior was extremely unnecessary." Optimus spoke up "Luna is one of my most trusted friends, and I don't appreciate you coming here and insulting her in front of everyone."

"With all due respect, _sir_, I'm just looking out for all of you. I can't be the only one here who thinks she's a threat." He looked at everyone's blank expressions. "What? Do you think I'm wrong?"

"…It was a bit harsh, Jackie." Bulkhead said "If Optimus can trust her, then so can we. There's nothing to worry about."

"I should have known this was all _his_ idea." He grunted, finally letting the pain get to him.

"You need to settle down now. You're only making your injury worse." Ratchet instructed. There was still energon leaking everywhere and he was losing too much. "Sit still so I can work on you."

Luna sat alone in another room. She was staring at the wall, lost in deep thought, when a tiny hand touched her leg. "Are you okay?" Monica asked.

"Yes… Just thinking."

"That Wheeljack jerk doesn't know what he's talking about. Don't let him bother you."

"I suppose you're right..." The problem was he _did_ bother her. What _was_ that strange feeling she felt when they first laid optics on each other? She had never felt it before, and she wasn't sure what it meant exactly. She wondered if he had felt it too. On top of that, there was a small part of her that feared Wheeljack was _right_ about everything.

"I know you're good, Luna. Don't ever think for a second that you're not."

Luna smiled down at her. Somehow this human managed to always make her feel better. "Thank you, Monica."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: CHAPTER 11 HERE IT IS! Mostly about Luna and Wheeljack and their complicated relationship so far. Next chapter will involve more Decepticons. Smokescreen plays a part in this story too, but I'm not sure when he'll be coming into it. Hopefully soon, I'll have to see. OH JUST A HEADS UP I'm back at school and starting the new semester so I can't promise any quick updates. But I do promise there is so much more to come! Leave a review and let me know what you think! **

Ratchet did a fine job patching up Wheeljack's wound, but realized it was far worse than he thought. Nova cut him open extremely deep, close to his _spark _even. He strongly advised the wrecker to remain at base and allow himself time to heal. Any fighting would risk it opening up again. Wheeljack would be combat ready in no time,_ if_ he followed those instructions.

Luna, on the other hand, was making a remarkable recovery after her battle with Megatron. She seemed to gain back her strength overnight. But to be sure, Ratchet recommended a few more days under his watch.

Wheeljack wasn't happy about this. He _hated _having to sit around and do nothing. Of course, no one could stop him if he decided to disobey Ratchet's orders. But Bulkhead managed to talk him out of it.

Luna also wasn't happy about this. Being stuck at base with Wheeljack was confusing to her. He would insult her and give her dirty looks yet, she still felt drawn to him. Attracted to him. It didn't make any sense. When Ratchet allowed her to go visit Monica, she jumped at the chance to get away.

"He's impossible. He won't even give me a chance." Luna vented, with Monica in the passenger's seat. "I can't stand to be stuck with him another minute."

"If you ask me, it sounds like he has a crush on you."

"A crush?"

"It means he's attracted to you. Like, romantically."

"How could he possibly feel that way if he treats me so poorly?"

Monica shrugged "It's just what boys do. They're too scared to admit their feelings so they act all stupid instead."

"Well I most certainly do not have a _crush_ on him."

"I never asked if you did." Monica smirked. "Who are you trying to convince, me or you?"

With that knowledge, Luna decided to take action and confront him about it. Arcee, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead were out and about with their human friends. Optimus was about to go on a scouting mission, and Ratchet decided he would join him and take samples. This was a perfect opportunity.

"The others should be back soon." Ratchet said. "Luna can watch the monitor in the meantime."

"You're leaving _her_ in charge?" Wheeljack questioned "Not sure _that's_ a good idea."

"Enough, Wheeljack." Optimus said, tired of his bad attitude. "Like it or not, Luna is your teammate and she deserves to be treated as such."

"Whatever." Wheeljack grumbled, and walked off down the hall.

Luna watched them disappear through the ground bridge. She went looking for Wheeljack the moment they were gone. He was in the supply room searching for something. She stood behind him and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Finding some parts for my ship. Not that I expect you to know anything about engineering."

She ignored his comment. "Do you have permission to use those parts?"

"Yeah, I do. So do me a favor and mind your own business."

Luna sighed. His rudeness was getting old. She hesitated, waiting for him to find the right parts, but he couldn't find anything useful. She stood in front of him when he tried to walk away. "Wheeljack, wait. I think I know why you treat me this way."

"What?"

"It's because you feel it too."

"Feel _what_?" Wheeljack asked, making a face.

"The connection we share. The pull. I _know_ you're drawn to me too. You just won't admit it."

He's heard those words before: the _connection_, the _pull_. And he knew what those words meant. He's heard other bots talk about it before. It's when you know your spark wants to bond. But that wasn't his style and never would be. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold it right there. You've got to have some loose screws in that brain of yours if you think that I would _ever_ be attracted to you. You are completely full of yourself, aren't you?"

"_No_. You're lying. This can't be just me."

"That's the way it goes, I guess."

She never lost her temper, but he drove her pretty close. He walked off and she followed him, deciding to try a different approach. "I understand you're mad about what my sister did to you but that wasn't my fault."

"Yeah? How can I be sure about that?"

"Because I am an _Autobot_. Why is that so difficult for you to understand?"

"No other Autobot has trained under Megatron like you. He trained you to fight like him, be like him. And from what I hear, he's pretty determined to get you back."

Luna shook his head "I'm nothing like him."

"Sure, whatever you say."

"But I _do_ know how he thinks. Megatron must have ordered my sister not to kill you. I wonder what he's planning."

"What? I fought her off!"

Luna let out the slightest chuckle. "I highly doubt that."

He crossed his arms. "What are you saying?"

She could tell he was offended, so she thought about how to say this nicely. "It's just… I'm quite sure Nova would kill you if she had the chance. The wreckers do tend to lack, well, cunning."

"Yeah, okay, I could take you right now if I wanted to."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Don't believe me? Let's go, you and me!"

"No, I mean don't be _ridiculous_. I'm not fighting you, Wheeljack. It won't solve anything."

"Are you afraid to lose?"

"I'm afraid I'll hurt you!"

A horn went off and they both turned to see that the bots had returned with the human children. The timing couldn't have been worse. They glared at each other. The tension between the two of them was obvious. "What's going on, Jackie?" Bulkhead asked, almost afraid to ask.

"Luna and I were just about to have a little friendly competition, to see who can fight better. For fun." Luna looked at him, aware that he just made that up. He didn't want to do this for _fun_ at all, he wanted to do this to prove himself better than her.

"Alright!" Miko cheered. "This is going to be good!"

"Wheeljack, do you really think that's a good idea when you're recovering from a _serious injury_?" Arcee cut in.

"I'm _not_ fighting him." Luna refused.

"It'll be fine. No blasters involved. First one to pin down the other wins. No funny business." Wheeljack said, laying down the ground rules. "Come on. I thought you lived for this kind of thing."

Luna glanced at the humans and Raf gave her a simple shrug, as if to say '_why not_?' She heard Miko whisper '_my money's on Wheeljack_.'

"Go on, Luna. Teach Jackie a lesson." Bulkhead smirked, nudging Bumblebee. Bee nodded, eager to see this himself.

"Fine! I'll do it." Luna decided, already knowing she'd regret this.

Once they moved to a bigger room, everyone stood off to the side to watch, while Wheeljack and Luna faced each other in the center. Wheeljack readied his Katana swords and made a stance, his mask sliding across his face. Luna rolled her eyes as she reached for her blade, wondering why she ever agreed to this. "This is so unnecessary…"

Miko counted down three, two, one, FIGHT! Luna was caught off guard by Wheeljack's immediate attack. It showed how much he wanted _win_ this. Why did it matter so much anyway? As they battled on, Luna studied his moves. He was flawed, no doubt about that, and she could already pick out his weaknesses. But he really _was_ a skilled warrior. She had always took the wreckers to be sloppy fighters, due to their barbaric nature and undisciplined training. She soon realized she had underestimated Wheeljack's abilities. He was _good_. The next thing she knew, he had nailed her to the floor and was pointing his katana in her face. The wrecker actually _won_.

It had happened so quickly that she blinked in shock "Wow, Wheeljack. I am _quite _impressed." She paused, her competitive side taking over. She was ready for him now. "Round two?"

"I don't know if you can handle another round with me." Wheeljack smirked.

She picked herself up, smiling at him. "We'll see about that."

They faced each other again, and Luna took her stance. Her mask slid down over her face to show that she was serious. Arcee shook her head. Wheeljack was too confident now. He had no idea who he was really up against.

Round two, Luna did not hold back and Wheeljack quickly noticed the change. Her movement flowed, her timing perfect. She made it look _effortless_! To end the fight, she separated Wheeljack from his weapons and twisted his arm behind his back, slamming him onto the floor face first. A satisfying victory indeed. And the moment she won, he demanded round three.

Luna won rounds three, four, and five. Wheeljack groaned on the floor, not out of pain but out of frustration. That's when Arcee decided to call it. "Alright, I think that's enough. Optimus will be returning any moment now."

"You fight well, Wheeljack." Luna said with a smile, offering him a hand. He gave her a dirty look and pushed it aside, getting up on his own. His body felt sore but nothing hurt more than his pride.

"That. Was. _Awesome_!" Miko burst out "Luna! You totally kick butt! You have to teach us some of your moves! Right, Bulk?"

"Maybe later, Miko." Bulkhead responded as he watched Wheeljack silently walk off.

Luna frowned, no longer very pleased with herself. "I told him I didn't want to fight."

"Jackie can be stubborn, but don't worry about it. He'll get over it."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: This chapter isn't too exciting. Kind of a filler chapter. I hope it's still good, though. The good news is my semester is almost over and then I can start updating more often! I'm happy to be taking my time with this story because I want it to flow perfectly. The next chapter gets pretty intense and it will be longer too. Don't forget to leave a review, it means a lot!**

As Nova approached the bridge, the doors swung open and Arachnid walked out. She stopped in front of her to keep her from entering.

"Arachnid. I'm surprised to see you let off so easy. I expected you to be dead by now." She _was_ the reason Megatron was almost electrocuted to death. And after plotting against him during his absence with Unicron, Nova thought for sure this would be the final straw.

Arachnid smirked. "If Megatron executed his followers every time one failed him, he wouldn't have much of an army, now would he?"

Nova narrowed her optics. "Yet I wonder why he doesn't make an exception for _you_. It's no secret that your loyalty to him is all a scam."

"I resent that. He made me his second in command for a reason, didn't he?" She smiled, playing games with her. "Or maybe the reason he still keeps me alive is because he's got a soft spot for femmes."

Nova chuckled "Megatron doesn't have a soft spot for anything."

"Well, you better hope he does! After failing to terminate Wheeljack? I can imagine that he isn't too pleased with you."

"What are you talking about? For whatever reason, Megatron ordered me to spare him! I take it he has a plan."

"Megatron would never order you to spare an Autobot. That's just crazy talk." Arachnid winked at her.

Nova's optics widened "It was you." Somehow, she fixed his voice in place of her own over the comm. link. She knew enough about Decepticon technology to perform such a trick. "How dare you sabotage a perfect opportunity to extinguish the enemy!"

"I did what I had to do to protect my title. Now we have both failed Lord Megatron and we _both_ will have to deal with his wrath. It has been a while since any 'con around here has managed actually kill an Autobot. I couldn't allow you to do that and make _me_ look bad."

Nova could kill her right then and there. But instead, she decided to play along with her little game. "You have no idea who you are dealing with, Arachnid."

"Funny, I was just about to say the same to you."

Nova smirked "You're wasting your time. Megatron knows of your treacherous ways. When it comes to you and I, there isn't a doubt in my mind about who he would choose. You would do well to remember that… _commander_."

* * *

><p>Back at the Autobot base, Wheeljack was sulking in his ship after that humiliating flight against Luna. <em>Everyone<em> saw his pride get the better of him. He felt like a fool. Bulkhead was trying to snap him out of it. "C'mon, Jackie. Luna really feels bad about it. She said she's sorry."

"I _don't_ want her apology!" Wheeljack snapped back. "No one should ever be sorry for _winning_."

Just then, the Jackhammer received an incoming call from an unknown signal. Wheeljack demanded whoever it was to identify them self.

"I take it you've made a full recovery, _Wheeljack_. I suppose it's true what they say about you wreckers." It was Nova's voice.

Wheeljack and Bulkhead exchanged looks. "What do you want, 'con?"

"To challenge you to a re-match. We have unfinished business, you and I. My apologies for leaving right at the good part, but I had more important matters to attend to. Now that it's taken care of, I'm dying to know who would have won that fight . . . aren't you?"

Considering she left him with barely his life to hold on to, it was pretty clear who would have won. Nova was leading him right into her trap. She was determined to kill him and Arachnid would not interfere again. Given his wrecker status, she knew he wouldn't refuse. They never turn down a fight, _apparently_.

Wheeljack muted the call on their end so she couldn't hear Bulkhead. "Jackie, think about this. Don't do it."

"She fights similar to Luna, just more aggressively. I'm ready this time. I know her moves!" Wheeljack protested.

"We can't be taking any unnecessary risks." Bulkhead said. "The 'cons have the Dark Nous relic. If you're captured and turned against us, like what happened with Arcee . . . you won't hesitate to attack us. We need to stick together now more than ever."

"Well, Wheeljack?" Nova called, interrupting their private conversation. "Do you accept my challenge?"

Wheeljack glanced at Bulkhead who shook his head with disapproval. He decided to play it safe like Bulkhead wanted. The wrecker shrugged to himself before answering "Forget it, 'con. I'm not interested."

Nova was surprised "Hmm, that's disappointing. I thought for sure you would have the dignity to face me again. Where is that famous wrecker pride I've heard so much about?" She was toying with him on purpose. Wheeljack tried not to let her get to him. "Ah well, I tried. My offer still stands if you change your mind. Oh and say hello to my dear sister for me, would you? She'll be happy to hear that Megatron made a full recovery as well."

The line went dead. Wheeljack couldn't help but regret his decision.

* * *

><p>Christmas was right around the corner, only a week away, and Monica needed to get some last minute shopping in. Her friend, Skylar, invited herself along and she would not shut up about her new boyfriend, Ricky.<p>

"He even bought me this charm bracelet. Pretty, right?" Skylar showed her.

The mall only got crowded around this time of year. Monica was wondering what to get for her family, maybe even something for Luna too. She glanced away from window shopping to look at the bracelet. "Hey, that _is_ nice. My mom would probably like that. Where'd he get it?"

"Not sure. I could call and ask him for you!" Skylar suggested, pulling out her cell phone.

She had just got off the phone with him ten minutes ago, after saying 'no, you hang up first' about a million times. Monica stopped her "That's okay! I'm sure I can find something like it."

"Oh, guess what? Adam's parents went away and they don't get back 'til Christmas Eve. So he's throwing a little Holiday get together tomorrow night. We both got invited!"

"A little get together?" Monica repeated. Yeah, right. Adam in High School was _known_ for throwing some crazy house parties. Not that she ever went to any. "Is Ricky going with you?"

Did she even have to ask?

"Well, yes, but I want you to come too!"

"As tempting as it sounds to be the third-wheel all night long, I think I'll pass." Monica said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh come on, no you won't! Can't my best friend come with me to _one_ college party? What, are you too cool for me now that you party in California?"

Monica laughed "That's definitely not it."

Skylar gasped "You _have_ gone to some parties in California, haven't you?"

"Not exactly. I've been a little busy studying for my Physics classes. People actually go to college to learn, you know."

"Monica! I can't believe you haven't been to_ any_ college parties yet. Now you have to come!"

"Are you trying to get me to go so badly just so I can be the designated driver?"

"What? No, not at all! I know you think Physics is the most important thing in the world right now, but college is supposed to be the time of your life! You're _allowed_ to have fun once in a while." She was also secretly hoping that Monica would meet someone new.

Monica sighed. Partying was the _last_ thing she should be doing right now. Not with Christmas so close and dealing with a SECRET ALIEN WAR on top of that. "_Fine_. I'll go and _try_ to have fun. But no promises."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, at school, Jack was eagerly waiting for the day to end. It was the last day of school before Christmas break and he really needed the vacation. Finally the bell went off a stampede of students rushed out the front doors. One guy grinded down the railing on his skateboard. As the school started to clear out, Jack noticed Sierra was looking his way.<p>

She approached him, holding her books close to her chest. "Hi, Jack."

"Hi, Sierra. Nice to finally be on break, huh?"

"Tell me about it." She smiled "So I was wondering… Are you free tomorrow night?"

Was she… was she asking him out? Was this really happening? "I- um- I don't think I'm doing anything."

"My older brother is having a party because my parents are away. I promised not to rat him out if he let me invite some of my friends. I was hoping you would come."

Oh. So this wasn't a date just the two of them. Still, he was happy to be invited to a party. Not just any party, a _college_ party. "Sure… sounds like fun!"

"Great! So I'll see you tomorrow! Say 9 o' clock!"

Jack nodded, grinning and waving a goodbye as she walked off with her friend.

"What about me?!" someone burst out next to him. "She forgot to invite me! RUDE!"

Jack rolled his eyes, still smiling. "Miko, this is a college party. You're much too immature."

Miko crossed her arms. "Oh, please! You better step up your game, Romeo! I hear Vince is going to that party and it's pretty obvious that he's got a thing for Sierra too." She grinned, noticing Bulkhead pull up along the curb. She started towards him, looking back at Jack. "Good Luck, _Jackrabbit_!"


	13. Chapter 13

The night of the party, Monica called Luna for a ride. Skylar thought it would be cool if they showed up in her fancy new Audi. Luna took it as a compliment. Of course she would drive them.

"Do you think you'll have to go on a mission tonight?" Monica asked before they left. She was wearing a plain buttoned up shirt and jeans. Her hair was up in a ponytail. She seemed _really_ into it.

"Quite possibly. You never know when it comes to 'cons."

"The thing is I'm kind of nervous about tonight. I don't really fit into this whole party scene." She was sitting in the driver's seat, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel. The truth was, she dreading having to go to this. "I was hoping you could stick around for a little bit, in case I want to leave early."

"Of course, Monica. May I ask what is being celebrated at this party?"

"Skylar says it's a holiday get together. More like just a poor excuse for a bunch of college kids to get drunk with no parental supervision!"

Luna didn't like the sound of that. "If you feel that strongly against it, then why do you want to go?"

Monica sighed "I told Skylar I would. She thinks I need to _allow _myself to have fun once in a while. I can't help it that I'm so committed to my studies. I didn't realize that was such a bad thing."

"Your commitment to school is to be admired. Others would be _wise_ to follow your example."

Monica smiled "I'm just going to show my face for a little bit, while everyone is still sober, and then make a run for it. One hour at most!"

Then she pulled away from the curb to go pick up Skylar and her boyfriend.

The real reason Monica didn't want to go is because she _knew_ her old boyfriend, Carter would be there. He was the only boy she ever dated in High School and she's regretted every second of it. Since then, she's sworn off relationships and has completely devoted herself to science. Earning a Physics degree was her dream from the start. Dating a self-absorbed guitar player was just a _huge_ distraction . . . and a poor judgment of character on her part.

Of course, being involved with the Autobots was a pretty big distraction. But this was different. Her planet was at stake, not to mention her little brother's safety! Besides, she was learning all about the science behind an advanced alien race. Teleportation technology! Ancient relics! How lucky was she?

And meeting Luna… she believed that must have been fate. What were the chances of her buying a transformer? Even crazier, Raf had _already_ known of their existence. It had all come together so perfectly. Like his bond with Bumblebee, she believed she shared a connection with Luna too.

Monica pulled up to Skylar's house and honked twice. She slid into the passenger's side moments later, wearing a sparkly halter top and mini skirt. Her beach blonde hair was down and flowed perfectly over her shoulders. Monica wondered if she'd say anything about her boring outfit but she didn't. Her boyfriend, Ricky got into the back seat.

"What I'd tell you, Ricky! Isn't it a cool car?" Skylar beamed

Ricky agreed. He wasn't big into cars but he knew a nice one when he saw it. Monica was surprised to learn that he was studying in the medical field. He was going for nursing. She was also surprised to learn that he didn't drink any alcohol whatsoever. He seemed like a nice, smart guy . . . which was refreshing given Skylar's past relationships.

As they approached the house, Monica noticed people hanging out by their cars and on the front lawn. They all turned their heads to look at Luna the moment she pulled up. She heard people saying 'nice car' and 'sweet ride' as they headed inside. She glanced back at Luna before entering the house, hoping that she would still be there when she got out.

The living room was crammed with bodies and smelled of sweat and alcohol. Monica had to fight off the urge to cover her nose. Moments later, she realized Skylar was no longer by her side. She looked around and called out her name but she and her boyfriend where nowhere in sight. _Great_. Then someone caught her eye over on the couch. It was Carter, sitting close to a pretty girl she didn't know. He was touching her, eventually making a move to kiss her. Monica shook her head, walking away and wondering _what_ she ever saw in him.

Jack was at the party too, although he wasn't having as much fun as he thought. Vince was all over Sierra so she wasn't paying much attention to anyone else. Miko was right. Vince was his competition, and it looked like he didn't stand much of a chance. He went into the kitchen to grab a soda, opening the cooler and reaching inside. "Taking a break from battling 'cons, Jack?" a familiar voice asked.

Jack spun around, alarmed. "Monica! What are you doing here?"

"My friend dragged me here so I could have some fun for a change. So far, no luck." She explained, rolling her eyes. "The better question is: what is a high school student like you doing at a lousy_ college _party like this one?"

"Uhh, Sierra invited me since it's her house." He explained, pointing behind him with his thumb.

"Oh right, she's Adam's sister." Monica looked over his shoulder and saw Sierra hooking up with some red-headed guy. She figured Jack was pretty bummed about that by the look on his face.

"To be honest, I don't know why she bothered to invite me in the first place." He mumbled, looking down at the floor.

Monica shrugged "Hey, don't worry about it. You can hang out with me and we'll try to get through this night together."

Jack smiled. They talked for a while, about things other than the Autobots for a change. She asked him how High School was going, admitting that she didn't miss it there at all. She told him about how hard she's worked to get into Stanford. Jack realized just how easy she was to talk to. However, their conversation was rudely interrupted by Monica's ex-boyfriend. "Monica, there you are! I've been looking for you all night!" He said, sliding his arm around her waist.

What a coincidence, she had been avoiding him all night! She pushed him off of her. "Beat it, Carter. I'm talking to someone."

"Aw, come on. You're still mad at me? I thought we agreed to be friends?"

Monica made a face. "I don't recall _ever_ agreeing to that."

He looked at Jack, grinning like an arrogant fool. "Who's your friend?"

"Jack Darby." He introduced himself. "How's it going?"

"Hey, I've seen you before. You work at . . . K.O.'s Burgers, right?" He remembered, one time, ripping him off in the drive-through when he was joking around with all his friends. But he wouldn't mention that part.

"Yup, that's me." He replied.

Carter glanced at the soda can he was holding. "What are you drinking? Let me get you a beer-"

"Forget it!" Monica intervened "Jack doesn't drink because he's actually _got_ a brain. Seriously, beat it, Carter." She wasn't sure if that was true, but Jack_ was_ only sixteen so she assumed that he didn't.

"Alright, alright. Touché." He said, holding up his hands. "Skylar's looking for you over there, by the way." He winked at her before walking off. What an _asshole_.

Monica apologized to Jack for that. It was pretty clear to him that they used to date, although Monica seemed to _really_ dislike him now. "I better go find my friend." Monica told him. She pushed through the crowd of people, finally finding Skylar with her boyfriend. "Monica! I've been looking for you!"

"Looking for me? I've been looking for _you_! Thanks for ditching me."

"What? I didn't mean to! I'm sorry!" She locked arms with her. "Come on, the girls were asking about you."

'The girls' as Skylar was referring to were two of her cheerleader friends from High School, Faith and Hailey. Monica was never really close with them, but they were few of the only cheerleaders that weren't completely full of themselves. So they were tolerable, at least.

"Skylar and her boyfriend are adorable together." Faith grinned. "How long have they been going out?"

The three girls stood in a row as they talked, watching Skylar and her boyfriend make googly eyes at each other.

"Not too long. She said they met when school started." Hailey replied. She nudged Monica "So what's the story with this one?"

Monica shrugged "I don't know much about him. He's from New York."

"New York? What's a New Yorker doing in Jasper, Nevada?"

"I think he's got family here." Faith said.

"All I know is that he's going to school for nursing and that he doesn't drink. He seems like the perfect guy for her, actually."

"Nursing?! You serious?" A guy's voice cut in. "What a tool."

It was Carter. Shocker. "At least_ his_ career with actually get him somewhere." Monica said, refusing to make eye contact with him. She took a sip out of her red cup, containing strictly just soda.

"Hey, that's harsh. You'll regret saying that when I make my record deal soon."

"Doubt you'll _ever_ get discovered in this town." Hailey said, rolling her eyes.

Jack had found a spot in the other room where he could see Monica clearly, glancing over at her every few moments. He had completely forgotten all about Sierra.

"Would you just look at those two! They really do seem like each other." Faith gushed, staring at Skylar and her boyfriend.

"Well they _did _just have sex." Hailey said, unenthused.

"WHAT?" Monica took that by surprise. "How do you know?"

"Duh, they snuck into one of the bedrooms the moment they got here. And it's written all over their faces. Isn't it obvious?"

"Save your breath." Carter smirked "You can't expect Monica to know anything about _that_."

Monica glared at him. How dare he say something like that, implying something that was supposed to stay private between them?! She lifted her cup and splashed it right into his face. It must have stung because he let out a cry and covered his eyes. "Monica! WHAT THE HELL?"

It was really unlike her to do something like that. He just made her so angry she couldn't control herself. Faith and Hailey mouths hung wide open at what they just saw. With that, Monica tossed her cup aside and headed out the front door. Unfortunately for her, Carter followed. She could hear him coming up close behind her, calling her name repeatedly. He grabbed her arm right in front of Luna's engine.

"What the hell is your problem?!" He demanded.

"My problem is you! Now let go of me."

"I was just kidding back there but you? You're being a real bitch to me tonight."

He was clearly drunk. Monica really wished Luna didn't have to hear all of this. She pulled her arm free. "I am not talking to you when you get like this. In fact, I don't _ever_ want to talk to you. So just turn around and go back to the stupid party so I can leave."

"What if I don't want to, huh? What are _you_ going to do about it?"

"HEY, leave her alone!" someone shouted. They stopped fighting to see who it was . . . only to see Jack.

"This is none of your business, punk. Get lost." Carter snapped.

"Monica's _my_ friend so that makes it my business." Jack declared.

Carter grabbed him by his shirt, lifting his feet off the ground. "Carter, stop!" Monica cried.

Suddenly, Luna's engine turned on, as well as her brights. Carter let go of Jack, blinded by the light. He stumbled back a bit, feeling dizzy from all the alcohol. Monica and Jack tried to get into the car but it seemed like the Autobot had something different in mind. Luna slowly started inching up towards Carter, revving her engine more and more each time she moved. She got so close to touching him that he lost his footing and fell back on his hands. She could sense his fear. "What the _hell_? Who's in there!?" Carter yelled, trying to see past the bright lights.

"Okay, that's enough!" Monica warned her guardian.

Luna listened and stopped what she was doing. She unlocked her doors and the two of them got in. Luna backed up and gunned her engine out of there, leaving Carter in the street, completely confused and intoxicated.

"You shouldn't have done that, Luna." Monica said, shaking her head.

"That boy was threatening to hurt Jack. I had to do something." Was she_ wrong_ to intervene?

"You _pushed_ him down. Now he's going to know something's up with you." Monica argued.

"He seemed too drunk to remember his own last name." Jack pointed out "He probably won't remember any of this."

When Monica didn't reply, Jack looked over at her. A single tear slid down her cheek and she whipped it away with her sleeve. He didn't know what to say. They drove in silence all the way to Jack's house. They sat out in the street for a long moment until Jack worked up the courage to say something. "Monica . . . we can forget that ever happened, okay? You don't have to explain anything to me."

She looked at him, but didn't say anything.

"For what it's worth, the party wasn't so bad after all . . . since I got to talk to you for a while."

She smiled at that "Thanks, Jack. For sticking up for me. You too, Luna."

"Of course. I'm just glad you asked me to stay." Luna said, although she had a million questions to ask about that horrible boy she almost ran over. She decided now was not the best time.

Before Jack opened the door to leave, he decided to invite Monica in. It wasn't too late yet and he thought she could use some company. He suggested watching a movie and inviting over Miko and Raf too. Monica liked that idea. Luna said she would stay outside until she was ready to go home.

The moment they entered his house, Jack's mother appeared by door. "Mom! Uh, what are you doing home? I didn't see your car."

"Ended my shift early tonight. Oh and I put my car in the garage. There's word that someone's been breaking into all the cars in the neighborhood-" She smiled when she noticed the girl standing with him. "Who's this?"

"This is Monica, Raf's sister."

"Oh that's right, you're home from school. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise." Monica smiled "I hope you don't mind me coming over this late."

"Don't be silly! It's completely fine with me. I was beginning to think that the only girl Jack would ever bring home is Arcee."

"_Mom_!"

"Sorry, sorry." She moved towards the window, noticing Luna parked in the street. "Is that the new Autobot out there? Oh wow, it's a nice one."

"Wait a minute. She _knows _about the Autobots." Monica asked Jack in a whisper.

"Uh, yeah, didn't I mention that before?"

"_No_, you didn't." Now she felt even worse about keeping it a secret from _her_ mom. "Do you talk to my mom often, Mrs. Darby?"

"Please, call me June." She smiled "Yes, I do. She knows that Raf is friends with Jack. She also knows that a yellow Camaro drives him to and from school most days . . . I convinced her that it used to belong to Jack's father and that Jack likes to drive it now."

"We had to come up with something." Jack added. "But we know it's not right. We _have_ tried to get Raf to tell her.

Monica nodded "Maybe it's for the best if she doesn't know."

"I think you should tell her eventually, when the moment is right." June said. She just hoped it wouldn't be the way _she_ found out . . . being captured by a crazy eight-legged Decepticon! "I'm going to wash up. I had a long day at the Hospital."

"Hey, mom? Is it okay if I invite over Miko and Raf for a movie night?"

"Of course. Just keep the volume to a minimum." June told him. "Goodnight, Monica. I'm sure I'll see you soon."

Monica said goodnight and thanked her again. But she had to disagree with June. She didn't plan on ever telling her mom about the Autobots because she knew she would never accept them.

**A/N: HEAVY human involvement in this chapter. I hope I didn't disappoint anyone and I hope it isn't confusing or anything. Most of the characters (like Faith and Hailey) aren't too important, just in this chapter they were added in. Skylar might become a main character but I'm not sure. What do you guys think? Can you see her paired up with any of the Autobots/Decepticons? You learn that Monica's ex-boyfriend is the biggest jerk EVER! Although I didn't mention why **_**exactly **_**they broke up, but you can probably guess why if you read into this carefully enough. Anyway, this chapter needed to be done to add to my plot! Also, I thought it was cute how Luna stuck up for Monica. Next chapter will be HEAVY Autobot/Decepticon involvement. It will mostly include Wheeljack, Luna, Megatron, Nova and Optimus. Don't forget to LEAVE A REVIEW. Comments, suggestions, criticism, I don't mind! Feedback is feedback. I thank you all my lovely readers! **


	14. Chapter 14

**Note: The Dark Nous relic gives the one holding it the ability to control the mind of any Cybertronian they choose, if they are able to get close enough. (This relic is of my own creation)**

Jack could tell that Monica was still upset about what happened at the party. He knew she liked science, so he thought he could cheer her up by showing her Wheeljack's ship. Luna tagged along to keep an eye on them.

Wheeljack was working on the exterior of the Jackhammer when he noticed her approaching with the humans. "How is the ship coming along, Wheeljack?" Jack asked.

"Just finished repairing the main engine. She's as good as new."

"Mind if I show Monica inside?"

"I don't see why not." The wrecker shrugged, opening the hatch. His optics met with Luna's.

"When you arrived to Earth, I recall you saying that your ship was damaged beyond repair." She reminded him.

"Guess I'm a better engineer than I thought."

"Clearly." Luna smiled at him as she followed the humans inside.

Wheeljack decided to join them as well. He noticed that the newest human, Monica, was quite impressed by his ship. "Bulkhead says you know a lot about intergalactic travel?" She eagerly brought up.

"I would consider myself an expert, yes." Wheeljack replied, proudly.

"That's just . . . amazing! How is your ship durable enough to withstand light speed travel? And how does it obtain enough energy to do it?! Does it run on entirely energon or something else?" Wheeljack blinked at her, caught off guard by her outburst of questions. She chuckled once, embarrassed "Sorry, I'm rambling. I just- I _envy_ you. Interstellar travel is a dream come true."

"You're a scientist, huh?" Wheeljack asked

"Student scientist." She clarified with a smile.

"Tell you what. How about I take ya for a ride? The Jackhammer needs a good flight after being grounded for so long."

Her face lit up "Can we?"

Luna had to protest "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not? It's completely safe. You don't want to crush her dreams, do you?"

Monica did seem pretty excited about this, and after last night, she'd try anything to cheer her up. "Okay. Once around Earth's moon and back. Not any further, Wheeljack, understand?"

"Copy that." He said, taking a seat at the controls.

Monica almost squealed with joy. "How long will a trip like that take?!"

"Twenty minutes, give or take." Wheeljack replied, preparing to take flight.

"Incredible!" Monica grinned, looking at Jack "How come you don't seem as excited as I do?"

"I'm used to this kind of thing by now." He said, smiling back "I did travel to Cybertron, remember?"

Luna lifted them about the controls so that they could see outside. Monica's nose was pushed up against the glass the moment they took off. They had to be going faster than a jet, faster than a space shuttle!

Luna sat in the seat next to Wheeljack, feeling an awkward silence between them. She had confessed the strange feelings she had for him and he flat out turned her down . . . she wasn't even sure if those feelings had really meant anything, or if it was all just in her head. She glanced over at him, wondering what he was thinking.

"Hey, Luna?" Jack called, interrupting her thoughts "What was your ship called?"

"The Windscar. My mentor before Megatron had given it to me . . . It pains me that my sister has managed to steal it."

"Was it anything like Wheeljack's ship?" Monica asked, curiously.

"No, I can't say it was similar to this one. Mine was quite larger, and it was near indestructible."

"Hey, The Jackhammer ain't no piece of junk. It survived the blow from a _proximity bomb_, so don't think it can't take a punch."

"I wasn't implying that. No need to get offended." Luna said, simply. She looked at him. "When did you get hit with a proximity bomb?"

"Uhh . . . I met up with an old Wrecker before I came back to Earth. But Dreadwing got to him first and planted the bomb on his ship. It was supposed to take us _both_ out."

She knew of Dreadwing. He, too, had a twin. Unlike her relationship with Nova, Dreadwing and Skyquake actually shared the same goal: living to serve Lord Megatron. Although she heard that Skyquake had perished by the Autobots. Dreadwing would probably wind up on Earth to hunt them down and avenge his death.

"An old Wrecker? I'm so sorry . . . Who was it?" Luna asked.

"Seaspray. Not that I'd expect you to know him."

"I don't. But I can assume that Bulkhead did. Does he know about this?"

"I . . . haven't told him yet." Wheeljack shrugged.

"He deserves to know. You have to tell him!" Luna demanded.

"I know that, I'm just waiting for the right moment. Get off my back."

At this point, they had just finished circling around the moon. Monica couldn't believe she was in outer space. She was the luckiest girl in the world.

That's when Jack noticed one of the controls blinking. The screen showed another ship within their radar. "Uh guys? I think we've got company."

Luna gasped "_The Windscar_! But how . . . How did my sister find us?" She looked at Wheeljack "Is your ship not cloaked?"

He was aware that the ships cloaking device had been damaged. He knew he had forgotten to fix something. Oops. "Uh, about that . . ."

"Wheeljack, you idiot! You said this was safe! How could you be so careless?"

"_Relax_. I can lose her. Just hang on to something."

As Wheeljack accelerated, the ship jerked forward. Jack and Monica lost their balance, almost falling off the edge. Luna caught them, of course, holding them securely in each hand. Monica could see the sky and the clouds again, which meant that they were back in Earth's atmosphere.

"If the ship isn't cloaked, then couldn't she have picked up our signal on Earth?" Jack asked "What if she tracked us close to the base? We could have given away our location!"

"If she knew where the Autobot base was, odds are she wouldn't be chasing us right now." Wheeljack said. "The base is _fine_."

At that moment, The Windscar opened fire. Wheeljack swerved sharply, causing Luna to lunge forward. She was starting to panic "Are _we_ going to be _fine_?"

Wheeljack tried all his tricks, he just couldn't shake her! He knew activating his ship's blasters would be a waste of time. The Windscar _was_ a much larger ship.

The Jackhammer suddenly received an incoming call. It was Nova. "Wheeljack! I see you repaired your ship. Quite impressive given the _damage_ I caused it. Listen, Wrecker, we could do this all day. Let's get to the point. Have you given my offer any second thoughts?"

"What offer?" Luna questioned "What is she talking about?"

"It was _nothing_. Your sister wanted a re-match and I said no."

"Weather you accept my challenge or not," came Nova's voice over the transmission, "you will have to face me one way or another. I never knew a wrecker could be such a coward."

Wheeljack tightened his grip on the controls, angered by her words.

Luna glared at him. "She has contacted you before and you didn't think to tell me? Are there any other secrets you're keeping from Team Prime? Because you seem to have many!"

"I'm hardly a part of your little team, alright? The moment I get the kids back to safety, I'm flying out of here!"

The Jackhammer took a hit to one of its engines, shaking violently. Monica could feel her stomach drop. She held onto Luna tighter.

"I'm landing." Wheeljack finally announced.

"No you are not!" Luna argued

"We're not getting anywhere with her chasing us around in circles. If we land, you and I can take her easy!" Then he gets to have his re-match, Luna gets to take her ship back, everybody wins.

"That is a _horrible_ idea! This could be a huge trap, and I- I _refuse_ to face my sister again!"

He landed anyway. He had no choice; one of his engines was fried. They were in the mountains somewhere, surrounded by rock and snow. The Windscar ceased fire and landed a good distance away from them.

The four of them watched as Nova exited the ship. She stood far off in the mountain, waiting patiently for her opponent to emerge.

"Well then. Looks like I'm on my own." He glanced at Luna "Wish me luck, _princess_." Luna said nothing as he opened the hatch and walked out. He pulled out his katana swords, ready to finish this once and for all.

Monica looked at Luna, surprised. "You're really going to let him take her alone?"

"I'm calling Ratchet." She said, already trying to contact the base. There was no response. _Perfect_.

"Now what?" Monica and Jack were looking up at her with concern.

Luna looked outside the ship. Wheeljack and Nova were already in the heat of battle, and it looked like he was getting the scrap beat out of him.

"I'm going out there." She decided, preparing her weapon. "I need you to keep trying to contact Ratchet. The moment you hear from him, tell him to send reinforcements. Do _not_ leave this ship no matter what, understood?"

"Reinforcements? But it's two against one. You can take her, can't you?" Jack asked.

"The last encounter I had with my sister, she had an ambush set up. I fear the worst, but I have to do _something_ before Wheeljack gets himself killed." With that, Luna exited the ship and ran towards the fight. She could see that Wheeljack was losing focus. When he had his guard down, Nova lifted her weapon to finish him off. Luna immediately jumped in to stop her. The sound of their blades clashing echoed throughout the mountain, creating an unsettling rumbling noise around them.

"Luna?" Nova grinned, "Dear sister, what a surprise!"

"Back off, Nova! I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but Wheeljack didn't agree to this little re-match of yours."

"And yet here he is, engaging me in battle."

"Because you shot down his ship!"

Nova smirked "I believe _you_ owe someone a re-match as well. Our former mentor perhaps?"

Luna's optics widened with fear, which allowed Nova to push her down. She chuckled to herself, contacting her master over the comm. link. "Lord Megatron . . . I think it would interest you to know that my _traitor_ of a sister has just rudely interrupted my execution!"

She wasn't paying any attention to Wheeljack as he got to his feet. He attacked her from behind, hitting her hard. He got several more punches on her while she was caught off guard. It was a more than satisfying come back. Then Luna joined in, beating her down even more. She managed to pin her down beneath her massive blade.

Nova knew when she was beaten, clearly outmatched against the both of them. A malicious smile spread over her face when she heard the sound of a fighter jet approaching from up above . . . This wasn't over yet.

Luna looked up and the next thing she knew, something slammed into her, sending her flying across the frozen ground. She groaned once coming to a stop, holding her head in pain as she sat up in the snow. With blurry vision, she weakly looked up at the figure hovering over her. "Lunar Mist . . . It's so nice to see you again."

_Megatron_. He held with him one of the most powerful relics ever to be found: The Dark Nous.

In the background, Wheeljack and Nova were fighting again. The former gladiator was starting to get impatient. He should have been dead by now. "What's it going to take to kill you off already?"

Wheeljack noticed that Luna had returned, but something was off about her. Her optics were locked on him as she approached, and she swung her massive blade at his head the moment she got close enough. "Hey! What's the deal, Luna?"

Luna didn't respond. She attacked him again and again without mercy. Wheeljack was unwilling to fight back and did what he could to avoid her. He could see Megatron close by, holding some sort of ancient relic. He realized that must have done something to her. "Snap out of it, Luna! I'm on your side, remember? I don't wanna hurt ya!"

"Silence, Autobot! I am not one of you!" Luna declared, her optics glowing deep red. "Now die!"

At this point, Wheeljack had to fight back if he wanted to _live_. She was too skilled to keep avoiding. Her moves were similar from their last fight so at least he wasn't completely helpless. Although, it became clear to him that she was defiantly holding back last time . . . which hurt his ego even more considering he _still_ lost. Now she was going for the kill, which meant he was in serious trouble.

Nova was ordered to stand down so she reluctantly went to go stand beside her master. "She believes she is one of us." Megatron told her, admiring his relic. He seemed quite pleased, focusing his attention back on Luna. "Her first act as a Decepticon: I ordered her to kill the Wrecker."

"But that was _my _re-match. Wheeljack was supposed to be my kill." Nova crossed her arms "How is that fair?!"

"There will be plenty more Autobots to go around. Don't be so selfish, Nova. The three of us can finally be together again. We will be unstoppable!"

Nova rolled her optics. Like having Luna back would make _that _much of a difference. "I'm going to search his pathetic ship."

Monica and Jack saw everything from inside The Jackhammer. There was still no word from Ratchet. They went to hide inside a small crevice when Nova entered the ship. They, too, were in serious trouble.

Nova looked around, unimpressed by the interior. She started to search for anything valuable. "_The three of us can finally be together again. We will be unstoppable_." She was mumbling to herself, mocking what Megatron had said. "What a load of scrap."

Monica poked her head out from their hiding spot to study Luna's sister. She could see the resemblance but they were in no way identical twins. She noticed many things different about them, actually. Nova seemed to have thicker armor, which made her look a bit more bulky than Luna. Nova's hands were pointy and sharp, almost like claws, while Luna's were rounder and more human-like. Also, Nova had red optics and a darker paint job while Luna had blue optics and a lighter paint job. Basically, they were complete opposites!

Nova had located Wheeljack's weapon supplies. That was about the only thing of interest to her. The Windscar was ten times better than this pitiful vessel. No matter, it was a loss to the Autobots so she considered that a victory.

Suddenly, the monitor went off "Jack? Monica? Are you there?" A picture of Ratchet appeared on the screen. "What is the emergency? Where is Luna?"

Nova narrowed her optics, checking her surroundings once more. She wondered who he was referring to. Other Autobots perhaps? Inside this ship? Impossible, they would have to be the size of . . . _humans_. Knockout did mention once that the Autobots like to keep human pets.

"If you can hear me, I'm sending back up now!" came Ratchet's voice again, "Help is on the way!"

Monica could see that Nova was starting to search under things, places where only humans could fit. She held her breath, stepping back into Jack, out of fear that they were about to be found . . .

**A/N: I hate to do this but AHH CLIFFHANGER! I really enjoyed writing this chapter. It's getting pretty intense! I will update again when I REACH 65 REVIEWS (which I think is more than fair given the follows/favs I have on this story). THANKS GUYS**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I hope this was worth the wait. Next chapter comes Smokescreen! And possibly a look into Megatron and Luna's past, as well as Wheeljack/Luna bonding. Don't forget to R&R! Feel free to leave any suggestions or ideas you may have. Until next time, guys!**

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><p>Luna continued to battle Wheeljack, completely under Megatron's control. The wrecker had no idea how to get himself out of this one. She truly believed she was a 'con. There was no convincing her otherwise. As he struggled to keep a hold against Luna, he glanced at Megatron who was watching them like it was amusing. He looked pleased to have his champion gladiator fighting for <em>his<em> cause. Wheeljack knew he needed to get a hold of that relic in order to snap her out of it.

Finally, a ground bridge opened up and Optimus and Bulkhead arrived to the scene. "He's controlling her with the relic!" Wheeljack exclaimed, dodging Luna's massive blade. Optimus nodded once, immediately going to fight Megatron for it. Bulkhead went to help Wheeljack. He managed to pin her down without hurting her. "Easy, Luna . . . It's me, Bulkhead!"

It was no use. Luna broke free, pushing him down and attempting to pierce his spark with her blade. Wheeljack knocked her out of the way just in time. "Forget it, Bulk. You can't get through to her. I've already tried."

Luna raised her blade above her head, about to attack Wheeljack. There was a shattering sound that echoed all around them, which suddenly made Luna stop. She lowered her weapon and held her head, confused. "W-what's going on?" She looked up at her friends, all beat up and tired. "What happened to you two? Did I . . .?"

Without thinking, Wheeljack threw a punch at her, knocking her down into the snow. She groaned, clearly back to her normal self. "Wheeljack! You didn't even let me finish."

"The relic is destroyed!" Optimus called out, as he continued to battle Megatron in the background. Optimus hadn't intended to shatter the magical stone attached to the relic. It was an accident. But now its power was gone and Megatron was furious. Optimus prayed it would reverse the control he had over Luna, instead of making it permanent.

"Jackie, she's back!" Bulkhead warned him too late, offering a hand to help her up.

Wheeljack shrugged with a smirk. "Well, I couldn't be sure." He had to admit that felt kind of good.

Luna looked around "I thought I heard Optimus."

But the Prime was no longer in sight, nor was Megatron. They were so intensely in battle that they had traveled down the mountain side without even realizing.

"Dear sister!" Nova called from Wheeljack's ship. The three of them drew their blasters out of instinct, but froze when they saw what she was holding . . . or rather _who_.

"_Monica_." Luna whispered in terror. Nova held the human in one hand with her blaster exposed in the other. But where was Jack? Did he remain inside the ship? Or did her sister _kill _him? Arcee would be devastated. Luna stepped forward "Let her go! Now!"

Nova smiled "I take it by your reaction that this fleshbag is your little pet, correct?"

Luna didn't respond. She felt so helpless.

"Clearly the Decepticon cause has lost more than enough relics these past few days." Nova went on, "So here's the deal, Autobots. I will release this little insect and spare its pathetic life if you hand over the Nitro Shock in the next sixty seconds. You have my word."

Bulkhead and Wheeljack exchanged looks. "Why should we believe you?!" Wheeljack protested.

She pointed her blaster at Monica, threatening to harm her. "The clock is ticking." Nova sang, smiling "I believe that's the human phrase."

Nova loved to make deals. It's how she always got her way . . . but that didn't necessarily mean she always kept her word. That's what makes her a 'con. Luna had to take the risk. "You have a deal." She declared, contacting the base through her comm. link.

This time Ratchet responded immediately. She quickly explained the situation to him, saying that there was no other option. Monica's_ life_ was on the line.

Seconds later, Bumblebee and Arcee showed up through the ground bridge. They hurried over to the others. Bumblebee held with him the requested relic.

"Where's Jack?" Arcee asked. "Wasn't he with you?"

"Still in the ship." Wheeljack replied, hoping that would keep her from panicking. Sure, he was still in the ship, but was he still _alive_? Nova hadn't mentioned him. Maybe she had no idea there were _two_ humans inside the Jackhammer.

"You. Autobot Scout." Nova called, addressing Bumblebee. "Bring me my relic."

Bumblebee hesitated then began walking towards her. He stopped before getting too close , demanding for the release of Monica first.

"Gladly." Nova tossed the girl into the icy snow. It was a rough drop for a tiny human. Monica grunted in pain as soon as she hit the ground. Nova quickly re-positioned her blaster at Monica. Then she held out her other hand towards Bumblebee "Now I won't ask again. _The relic_."

Bumblebee tossed it to her and she caught it. She admired it as she pulled up her blaster, granting Monica her life. She glanced down at the human "A deals a deal. Now run along."

Monica glared up at her, trying to stand up in the deep snow. Her arm was burning for some reason. When she looked down, it was dripping blood. At least she didn't break anything.

"Although I wouldn't move just yet because this scout is about to get fried to a crisp." She pointed the relic at Bumblebee, who was standing closest in her target rage. She heard the human gasp. "What? I never agreed to spare _his_ life. That wasn't part of the deal."

"Please, don't!" Monica cried.

If the relic was powerful enough to almost kill _Megatron_, Nova felt like she held all the power in the world. The Autobots were helpless against her. She was about test it out for herself when the sound of Wheeljack's ship stopped her. She turned around and the next thing she knew, two missiles were being fired directly towards her.

She jumped out of the way in time, as did Bumblebee. His only thought after that was to go see if Monica was okay. He carefully picked her up and she smiled weakly. "I'm alright, Bee. Good thing Jack fired those missiles, huh?" Bee looked back at the others and gave them a thumbs up.

Monica was safe. Jack was alive. Luna felt a wave of relief wash over her.

Nova watched as the missiles flew across the sky until they finally hit one the mountains in the distance. There was a loud rumbling noise that lingered above them. Unfortunately for Nova, she landed The Windscar right near that mountain. As it started to crumble, she took off running towards her ship. No way was she losing it under an avalanche of snow. Forget the Autobots. She already had the Nitro Shock. Mission accomplished.

"We need to get out of here. One avalanche might cause a chain reaction." Arcee said.

"Head for The Jackhammer." Wheeljack instructed. His ship was damaged but it was operational enough to get them out of there. "With one good engine, I can at least fly us off these mountains."

"We can't leave Optimus." Luna protested, trying to contact him through her comm. link. No response.

"There's no time. Besides, he's probably waiting for us at the bottom." Wheeljack shrugged, doubting his own words.

As everyone made a run for it, Luna looked back. Her sister managed to reach The Windscar and flew away as the snow and debris swept by beneath it. There was another loud rumble as the mountain next to it started to fall. "Luna, let's go!" Bulkhead called.

Everyone huddled into The Jackhammer with barely enough room to fit. "Nice work, kid. You brought down the whole mountain." Wheeljack told Jack as the wrecker started up the ship.

"I was aiming for the 'con!" Jack exclaimed. "Give me a break. I can't even read the controls."

Bumblebee stated that Jack saved his life. Otherwise, he'd be a goner. He was grateful.

"Too bad you didn't fire those missiles sixty seconds earlier." Bulkhead thought out loud. Everyone looked at him. "What? Then we would still have the relic!"

"What matters is that you're all safe." Arcee cut in. "I just hope we can say the same about Optimus."

They traveled down the mountain and spotted Optimus still battling it out with Megatron. Wheeljack activated his blasters and opened fire, being careful not to hit the Prime. Megatron growled, trying to shield himself with his arms. When he looked up, an avalanche of snow was approaching. He transformed and flew off while he still had the chance. Wheeljack carefully flew in close enough so Optimus could jump on. The Jackhammer carried them to safety away from the mountains. Optimus called for a bridge back to base.

The Prime was not happy to say the least. "This incident interrupted our mission in a Decepticon mine, one that would have supplied us with enough energon to last a long time."

The mission required Ratchet's help in the field, which is why he wasn't at the base and wasn't receiving Luna's emergency calls. Optimus assumed that Luna and Wheeljack would watch over the base while the rest of the team was gone. He assumed wrong. "Not only did this cost us both relics . . ." he went on "It put both Jack and Monica in serious danger."

"You should be thankful that Arcee received Jack's _cell phone_ call. That's how I knew you were in trouble." Ratchet added.

Before Wheeljack could think of a smart response, Luna spoke up "I blame myself, Optimus. I allowed the children onto the ship. I am to be held responsible."

Wheeljack looked at her, shocked. Why was she taking the fault for this? He was the one who insisted they'd go. He was the one who forgot to fix the cloaking device. Otherwise, they would have never been tracked in the first place.

"Somehow I doubt that taking a joy ride was _your_ idea, Luna . . ." Ratchet said, glaring at Wheeljack.

"Actually, this was all my fault." Jack admitted "I wanted to show Monica what it was like to be in a spaceship." He glanced at her and noticed that she was wearing only a tank top. What happened to her shirt? Then he saw it wrapped tightly around her arm, stained with blood. "Y-You're bleeding!"

She quickly pulled her arm behind her back and whispered "I'm _fine_."

The Autobots looked down at her, concerned. "Monica. Let us see."

The girl sighed, then held out her arm and un-wrapped her shirt, wincing in pain. "There were sharp rocks under the snow where I fell." Monica frowned "I'm getting blood on the floor."

Since Jack was the only other human in the room, he felt the need to examine the wound himself. The cut sliced down her entire forearm and it looked deep. He felt a little queasy "We need to get you to a hospital."

"No! No hospitals! Then my parents are going to find out and I hate lying to them." She pressed her shirt against her arm to stop the bleeding. She looked up desperately at Jack "Can you call your mom to come here? She can probably stich me right up."

"Stitch you up?" Luna repeated, horrified.

"Yeah, it's really no big deal." Monica closed her eyes for a moment, feeling dizzy. She lost too much blood. "I think I need to sit down."

"I'll call my mom." Jack agreed, pulling out his cell.

Ratchet sighed softly. He hated not being able to help. Human wounds were still strange and unfamiliar to him.

June arrived in just fifteen minutes, almost like she was awaiting the call. She immediately went to Monica's aid. The bleeding had stopped a lot, so she proceeded to clean her wound to prevent infection. Next she injected her arm with a drug to numb the pain.

The Autobtos watched the nurse at work, concerned and intrigued at the same time.

June noticed how calm her patient was being. "Ever had stiches before?"

Monica nodded "When I was eleven, I fell climbing a tree. Again when I was sixteen from rock climbing." Although those past wounds weren't as bad as this one. She cringed as June started to sew her skin back together. How many stiches would she need, anyway?

Luna hated seeing her in pain. "Can we do anything to help?"

Monica squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold back tears. "Talk about something to distract me."

"We can talk about how Luna almost _killed_ me and Bulkhead here." Wheeljack spoke up "She thought she was a 'con and wouldn't listen to anythin' we said."

Luna shook her head "I don't remember any of that."

"I guess it's a good thing the Dark Nous is destroyed." Arcee said. "That kind of power . . . it shouldn't be in the hands of anyone."

Bumblebee asked what they would do about the other relic.

"The Nitro Shock is in Megatron's possession now." Optimus confirmed "All we can do is focus on locating the remaining relics . . ."

". . . and hope that we find some that are just as powerful to even the odds." Bulkhead added.

As soon as June finished, Monica lifted her arm and frowned. The bandage covered her entire forearm. "I guess I'll be wearing sweatshirts around my family for a while."

"The stiches should be ready to come out in a few weeks. You'll have to let me keep an eye on you. And don't worry, I won't mention any of this to your parents."

Monica sighed in relief and smiled "Thank you, June. I_ really_ appreciate your help."

* * *

><p>(Location: The Nemesis)<p>

"Unbelievable!" Megatron roared, standing before his fellow Decepticons. "Luna was finally under control – _my_ control!" He pointed a finger at Nova "The relic is _destroyed_ thanks to you!"

Thanks to her? Optimus was the one who shattered it. "I don't know why you're so upset over this. I _got_ the Nitro Shock, just like you wanted." Nova replied, calmly. She had expected him to react this way. "Clearly, you would prefer the possession of my sister. Perhaps I can offer the Autobots a trade?"

She was joking with that last part, but Megatron did not find it very funny. "Do not make me look like a fool, Nova Storm! I am your Lord and Master. You serve _me_ and you respect _me_ like every other Decepticon aboard this ship!"

Arachnid snickered. Nova getting yelled at was somehow satisfying.

Nova narrowed her optics. He called her by her full birth name. No one ever called her that anymore. "Understood . . ."

Megatron looked thoughtful for a moment, turning his back to her. "You said that you held a human hostage in exchange for the relic?"

Nova smirked "Yes, Luna's _pet_. Quite pathetic little creatures. I can't see how she_ cares_ for the thing." She realized there must had been more than one in hiding because _something_ had to set off those missiles from the inside.

Megatron could use that information in the future. Perhaps blackmail Luna into joining his cause in exchange for the safety of her human pet. It would be hard to do but he would keep the idea in the back of his mind. "I see . . ." He turned back around "Let us focus on retrieving the remaining relics we have decoded, and be prepared to run into any Autobot interference."

It bothered Nova that Megatron seemed to completely ignore the fact that her sister _despised_ him. Why would he want someone like that working for him anyway? What did Luna have to offer that she didn't? Nova knew that she was the better fighter (at least, she liked to think that). Perhaps Megatron had always felt a closer bond with Luna, but it still wasn't healthy to be this obsessive over her. She started to wonder what Luna would have to say if she knew about all of this . . . she started to wonder if there's anything Luna's kept secret from her involving Megatron and their past.

As Knockout, Breakdown, and Arachnid turned to exit the bridge, Nova stepped towards Megatron. Soundwave remained in the room, of course.

"What about making me your second in command? Or have you changed your mind?" She asked.

He was quiet for a moment "Prove to me that you deserve it. No more disrespect. Then we'll discuss what to do about Arachnid."


End file.
